Here is a story of the heart, in every sense of the word, which gives faith in love to a week of Valentine’s Day.
The Daily Mail (Source 1) echoes the unusual story of Taylor Giver and Collin Kobelja, two Americans who received a heart transplant on June 9, 2011 at Inova Fairfax Hospital (Virginia, United States). The two strangers met years later, and sealed their love with a marriage.
However, nothing destined these two people to “end up” together. If they underwent a heart transplant on the same day and within the same hospital, they did not sympathize on this occasion. They just crossed paths during medical appointments or in the corridors of the establishment. It wasn’t until five years later, in 2016, that Collin contacted Taylor via Facebook, leading to their meeting. Very quickly, the two protagonists exchange telephone numbers, text messages, and have lunch together in a Chinese restaurant near the hospital, lunch during which they go taking the same medications at the same timebecause of their transplant status.
Mr. Kobelja told CBS: “ It was great to start go out with someone you don’t have to explain anything to. You can just live your life the normal way “, declared Collin Kobelja with the chain CBS.
Alas, if the lovebirds are happy to have a close medical history, they will also face new health problems. Taylor indeed received a diagnosis of stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, requiring heavy chemotherapy, while Collin had to undergo three new heart transplants.
Note that Collin and Taylor did not receive a heart transplant for the same reason: Collin was born with a heart defect and received his first heart transplant at 17 months (the 2nd at 22 in 2011), while Taylor suffered from an enlarged heart that was not pumping enough blood.
Married in 2019, 8 years following their respective transplants, the two lovers now testify to their adventure and their love on Instagram.
