This seems like a story straight out of Grey’s Anatomy, but a couple years ago a rare “domino” transplant.

In 2016, Tammy Griffin from Portland, OR, who has cystic fibrosis, needed a heart-and-lung transplant, or she would die.  She’d already been on the transplant waiting list for 2 years, but she just wasn’t an ideal candidate due to her age (she’s in her 50s) and condition.

Though Tammy needed to have BOTH her lungs and heart replaced, her heart is actually pretty healthy, it just shifted in her body.

That’s when Tammy’s doctors came up with a plan so that Tammy COULD get her transplant.  Since her heart was healthy, but couldn’t remain in her body, they would to a rare “domino” transplant where Tammy could receive a new heart and lungs from someone who’d passed, and Tammy gave HER heart to someone else.

Linda Karr from northern California was the recipient of Tammy’s heart, and the surgery went GREAT!

Tammy and Linda had a chance to meet a couple months later, hit it off, and remain friends to this day.  Plus, whenever the two get together, Tammy can listen to her OWN heart beating in her friend’s chest.

Check out the photo of the friends HERE.