Brandon Nelson's parents decided to donate his heart valves after his tragic death so another child could live.

In the Face of Loss
In a perfect world Tami Kastl and Melissa Haugen would probably never know each other. In a perfect world Kastl's son Brandon would be preparing for preschool, and Haugen's son Dayton would be a stranger to the operating room. In the real world, both young mothers have faced some of the toughest challenges a parent can face, and have developed a unique friendship, borne of tragedy but strengthened by hope.

Tami Kastl has vivid memories of the day in May 1998 when her 22-month-old son Brandon was accidentally electrocuted by a ground wire: She remembers the sinking feeling she got at the sight of the emergency vehicles outside her home as she returned from the store.

She remembers not having time to sit down at Yakima Memorial Hospital before a physician informed her and her husband, Tom, that Brandon couldn't be revived. She remembers clearly how she felt when the nurse asked them if they would consider tissue donation. "I was still in shock, but I didn't think twice," Kastl said. "It was not a tough decision. I knew that even if I had lost my child, someone else's child could live."

Tami and Tom's conviction about donation partially stems from personal experience. Twenty-five years ago, Tom's mother, Brandon's grandmother, received a kidney transplant.

"I have always felt very strongly about organ and tissue donation for myself, but I never thought that I would have to make that decision for my child," said Tami. "I just believe you don't need them (organs and tissues) when you die, and donation gives someone else a chance."

Hope for Dayton
Melissa Haugen's and Tom Drews' joy at the June 1998 birth of their second son Dayton was tempered by concern. The healthy heartbeat the Minnesota couple heard during Melissa's pregnancy masked a congenital heart defect which threatened their newborn's life.

Dayton was born with pulmonary atresia, which compromised blood flow from his heart to his lungs, accompanied by a ventricular septal defect, or hole in the heart, between the two lower chambers. Pediatric cardiologist Dr. John Foker planned surgery to transplant an artificial valve and correct the conditions when Dayton was just three months old.

Just prior to surgery, Dr. Foker became aware of the availability of a suitable human heart valve which would offer considerable advantages over a synthetic device.

"At the time, I didn't understand the whole donation and transplantation process," said Haugen.

After nearly 12 hours of surgery, Dr. Foker informed Melissa and Tom that though the surgery to correct Dayton's heart was successful, there had been complications. Collateral vessels leading to Dayton's lungs were not opened wide enough to allow sufficient blood flow and Dayton's left lung had collapsed. Dayton would need additional surgery in the future to correct the condition and possibly regular operations until he is full grown.

Despite his challenging start at life, Dayton enjoys the full life of a toddler. "If you were to see him, you'd never know there's anything wrong with him," said Haugen. "He's almost 30 pounds, he laughs, he plays."

The Seeds of Friendship
In one of their occasional conversations since Brandon's death, Kastl expressed to Tissue Services Donation Specialist Shari Fowler an interest in writing to the recipient of Brandon's heart valve. Working with Dr. Foker's staff, Fowler learned that Dayton's family would welcome correspondence, and the families agreed to share addresses. Letters quickly gave way to telephone conversations and a unique bond was formed.

"I remember the first time she called me, I couldn't say 'thank you!' enough times," said Haugen. "Without his (Brandon's) gift, we don't know what Dayton's life would have been like."

"She said she didn't know how she could ever repay me," said Kastl. "I told her 'I didn't do it for you to repay me, I did it so that your baby could live.'"

Though separated by more than a thousand miles, Kastl and Haugen made a connection through which both found strength. "They've had almost a year and a half with Dayton that they might not otherwise have had. That makes me feel so good," said Kastl.

For Christmas 1998, Tami sent Dayton a stuffed "Barney" doll which she had bought to give to Brandon. "

That Barney is Dayton's favorite thing," said Haugen. "It's like Brandon has been kind of a guardian angel for Dayton."

A Christmas Wish Come True
Their relationship took on new meaning when the two families met face to face for the first time on "The Montel Williams Show." After receiving letters from Haugen, producers invited the families to be on a program focusing on extraordinary gifts that would air Christmas Eve.

"Melissa and I had talked so much on the phone, but meeting in New York kind of made it more real," said Tami. "It was so great for us to actually meet Dayton. To me, he was a lot like Brandon. He was so much fun."

To foster communication between the two families, program producers provided Haugen with a personal computer and internet service. Melissa and Tami now keep in touch through daily e-mail.

"Ever since we met them in New York we have sort of a different relationship," said Haugen. "When we left them at the airport, I felt like I knew them all my life. They truly feel like they're family."