Double-lung transplant recipient honours donor's bucket list wish

Justine Komin, 29, owes her life to Mason Mudlin, a young man who died of Addison disease in 2010.

Komin has cystic fibrosis. After two years on a waiting list, she received a life-saving double-lung transplant from Mudlin.

“I cannot express how much this gift has meant to me and to my family,” Komin wrote in a note to Mudlin’s family after recovering from the transplant. “To say that you lost a huge part of your family would be an understatement. You could have chosen to let Mason’s legacy end there, but you didn’t, and for that I am so very grateful. I’m sure that Mason is proud of your strength in that selfless act at a time of overwhelming grief. I hope that one day we may get to know one another, that I may learn about the man who saved my life.”

Read her entire note here.

Nearly four years after the transplant, Komin met Mudlin’s family.

In September, to honour her donor, Komin crossed an item off his bucket list she had seen posted on a memorial page online: Drive a race car.

Mudlin’s family was in attendance, watching Komin race around a track for their loved one as she raised money for research.

Since meeting Mudlin’s family, Komin founded the nonprofit Meet My Heart to help make reunions between donors’ families and organ recipients special — and at no cost.

“Meeting in person gave us both a chance to heal. A lot of recipients feel guilt after transplant — that they benefited from someone’s death. It’s hard to imagine what a donor family feels, apart from profound grief.” Komin told TODAY.com.

“My goal is to work with organ procurement organizations to include something about ‘Meet My Heart.’ We are not going to limit it to any organ or disease. It means so much to be able to hug your donor’s family.”

Mudlin’s sister, Melanie Mudlin Barclay, works for the Make a Wish Foundation in South Dakota is and is excited to work with Komin on the project.

Maudlin also donated his eyes, kidney and liver. In his death, he saved four people’s lives.

Komin is now pursuing her master’s degree in epidemiology at the University of Kansas Medical School. Her lung function has been stable for more than a year.

Last month, on what would have been Mudlin’s 32nd birthday, Komin paid tribute to her donor with a Facebook post:

“Today my donor, Mason, would have been 32 years old. He donated life to me and others at the age of 27. I never thought I’d be alive to see 2013, let alone 2015! I owe that to Mason and his family. I have them to thank for so much, especially for the inception of Meet My Heart Inc.! This will be an exciting year for Mason and me!”