Mom shares dance with recipient of daughter's heart

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Garrett Leopold and Laurie Pierce have a very special bond.  Garrett was born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome -- the left side of his heart was under-developed.

He received a new heart after the donor, Amanda, died in a car accident in 2013.

"She was really beautiful on the outside, but inside she was so much more," Amanda’s mother Laurie said. “Loving and beautiful. She saw people with her heart, not with her eyes."

Because of how special Amanda was, Laurie and Garrett decided to do a personal dance at the American Heart Association's Heart Ball in her honor.

"To think how special it is to dance with the donor's mother. It’s just something that I will never forget," Garrett said.

"It was magical,” Laurie agreed. “It was incredible the venue the love in the room. The unbelievable generosity from the people there. It was a magical night.”

It was an emotional moment they will never forget.

"It meant so much to me and I know it meant so much to her." Garrett said. "It’s something that I will cherish for the rest of my life."