Couple Surprised At Wedding By Recipient Of Late Son's Heart
A stunned couple received a wedding day surprise they will never forget as they were met for the first time by the recipient of their donor son's heart during the ceremony. As the judge performing the ceremony asked if there were any objections, recipient Travis Stufflebean entered the room and greeted Dean and Monica Berckenhoff as they stood stunned. Carrying a stethoscope, Travis embraced the tearful couple before allowing them to listen to son Colton's heart inside his chest. The beautiful moment took place in Montgomery County Justice of the Peace Court 1, in Willis, Texas, on July 19, and was a surprise organized by Monica's sister, Amanda McDonald, and her parents, Terry and Michelle Guy. Dean, 42, is Colton's biological father, and Monica, 32, his stepmother. Colton died age 11 in a tragic accident in Porter, Texas, in June 2012. The couple made the decision to donate Colton's organs, and the recipient was Travis, now 28, whose family had been told in 1991 that he had a bad heart. Following several surgeries, Travis was informed his heart was failing, and after three months on the donor list, he received Colton's heart. Knowing of Dean and Monica's determination to one day meet the recipient of Colton's heart, Amanda contacted Travis in December 2018 to inform him about the wedding. Along with the help of Amanda's parents, Travis was able fly into Texas from Fayetteville, Arkansas, and he hid in the backroom while the ceremony took place.
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