OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Friday would have been Nathanael Garza's 24th birthday. But in his place, six people live today.
That includes former Nebraska Assistant Coach Barney Cotton who was given Nathanael's heart thanks to Nathanael’s organ donor status when he died in 2019.
Amanda Garza no longer has the comfort of her son, but she takes solace in knowing something positive could come from her son's selflessness.
"Just knowing that my son's heart beats strong in the body of another man who needed a heart so badly, it's just a great comfort, it's a real great comfort," said Amanda Garza.
She met Cotton for the first time in person for organ donation events in Nebraska, including for the Celebration of Heroes with Live On Nebraska in Lincoln on Saturday.
Before now, they grew close through phone calls. Cotton readily shares his gratitude.
“The gift of life that I received, I get to be a dad and I get to be a husband. I mean the two most important things in my life, I get to do for a while longer because of her generosity through a tragic situation with her son," said Cotton.
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