Worcester boy meets family of heart donor 1 year after transplant

ORLANDO, Fla. — A Worcester boy who received a heart transplant last year finally met the family of the little boy who gave him the gift of life. Carlos Rolon, Jr., 7, traveled to Orlando, Fla. with his family and met the family of Sean Michael Bridges-Rivera, a 6-year-old boy who lost his life in a March 2020 car accident.

“He’s a hero,” Carlos said of the best friend he never met.

“I let some tears out,” Carlos’s mother, Sheena Cossette, said of the emotional meeting. “I constantly thought about this day and what I would say and what I would do, and none of that was relevant.”

>>>MORE: Worcester child returns home after 8-month hospital stay

Sean’s mother, Giselle Rivera, used a portable heart monitor Sunday to listen to her son’s heartbeat in Carlos’s chest. Witnessing her tragedy become another’s miracle has been overwhelmingly emotional.

“It’s bittersweet because it cost me everything,” Rivera said. “I want [Carlos] to be everything his heart desires and more.”

The two families met at Judah Church where Clint Brown is presiding pastor. Brown had helped guide Rivera through the decision of organ donation.

“I just cannot believe how much, when I saw Carlos, I just saw Sean,” Brown said of the boys who were both six at the time of the transplant. “They just resemble each other. The energy is the same, their little expressions are the same.”

Born with a heart defect, Carlos had waited more than four years on the transplant list, spending eight months straight in Boston Children’s Hospital. Last year, his family received the call they had long been awaiting: a heart was arriving from Florida – 1,300 miles away – and Carlos would be the recipient.

PREVIOUS: 6-year-old boy receives gift of life after 4 years on heart transplant list

Today, Carlos is stronger than ever, and his parents are forever grateful.

“For [Rivera], it’s like Sean Michael still lives on,” Cossette said. “But she can also see the appreciation we have for giving Carlos a second chance at life.”

Sean’s family has welcomed Carlos and his family as their own, spending hours together during their time in Florida and promising they will never lose touch.

“I can’t thank them enough. They gave the best thing that ever happened to me a second chance at life,” Carlos’s father, Carlos Rolon Sr., added. “I think the greatest job I ever had was being a dad, and I get to continue that job of mine until the day I pass away. They gave me that opportunity to make that happen, and I’m super grateful for it.”

Cox Media Group