Allograft Recipient and Donor Family Meet

There was a certain hesitance at first.

Slow halting steps were accompanied by quick glances as they entered the room, not knowing what to expect of one another — or of themselves.

They’d never met, but smiles of recognition soon came through. Handshakes followed. Then hugs. And tears.

From left: Ariel and Dick Abad and Mat Martin. Also at the gathering were Mat’s girlfriend, Darcy Alderman, and his parents, Rita and Bert Martin. Dick’s wife, Connie, was unable to attend.

So the Abads and Martins spent a January afternoon getting acquainted, sharing a meal and sharing their feelings.

It was the first time Mat Martin had met Dick and Ariel Abad, father and brother of Ami Abad, who is the reason Mat walks without pain or a limp. At 26, Ami died of asthma. Her family’s tissue donation consent led to the femoral condyle transplant that allowed Mat to resume his life three years after a car accident put it on hold.

By the end of the gathering, there were new friendships and a much deeper understanding.