Bride Meets Boy Who Received Her Late Son's Heart and Listens to His Heartbeat Before Walking Down the Aisle (Exclusive)

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6 days ago

Kaci Wilson had a very special guest at her wedding last month: the 7-year-old boy who received her late son's heart
On April 18, 2023, Wilson's car was hit by a truck. Two of her boys survived, but son Myles Godfrey, suffered a traumatic brain injury and died
Before walking down the aisle, she also got to hear her late son's heartbeat again — the 7-year-old boy's parents even brought a stethoscopeTwo years ago, one of Kaci Wilson's three kids died when a truck stuck her minivan. Last month, she met the boy who received her son's heart in person for the first time on her wedding day.
Saleh Ahmad, 7, was a surprise guest at Wilson's wedding on May 25, 2025 — and together with Wilson's dad, the boy walked her down the aisle.
'It was a very, very, very sweet moment,' Wilson, a 24-year-old stay at home mother who lives in Andrews, N.C., tells PEOPLE.
Before she walked down the aisle, the boy's parents asked the bride if she wanted to hear her son's heartbeat again. They even brought a stethoscope.
'It was just so heartwarming,' Wilson says. 'It definitely was the closest I felt to him since the accident.'
On April 18, 2023, Wilson picked up her 4-year-old twin boys from preschool then drove to her mother's house to pick up her 1-year-old son. Pulling into the driveway at her home in Hayesville, a truck going 60 miles per hour hit Wilson's 2023 Kia Carnival.
Two of Wilson's three boys survived, but one of her twins, Myles Godfrey, suffered a traumatic brain injury and died — but through organ donation, he saved the lives of several other children, including Saleh.
Shortly after the accident, a mutual friend connected Wilson with the family of the little boy who received her son's heart. The families talked online and on the phone, but never met face-to-face until Wilson invited them to attend her wedding in Hiawassee, Ga. — a surprise for her friends, family and even the groom, Gavin Wilson, 23.
'The little boy was crying happy tears. He was smiling, he was giving all the hugs and kisses,' Wilson says. 'We were sad, but we were happy, seeing how well the little boy is doing.'
Wilson's childhood friend, photographer Brianna Hemphill was on hand to capture the emotional reunion.
'Everyone was so filled with love and joy but also heartbreak. It was a mix of emotions,' Hemphill tells PEOPLE. 'It showed people how short life is, but also how valuable it is when you have it.'
Wilson hopes her story will encourage other parents struggling with the decision to donate their child's organs.
'In that moment, you're feeling all the emotions of 'How is this happening to my family? It's not fair. We can't save our kid, but we're going to save somebody else's,' ' she says.
One thing that helped her make her decision was thinking about what her son would want.
'I realized, 'Of course he would want to save another person,' " she says. "He was the most kind-hearted, sweet, loving, little boy. So of course he would want to save somebody else if he could.'
A GoFundMe was created to raise money for a honeymoon. The newlyweds hope to visit the little boy and his family this summer.
As for the future, Wilson says she hopes her children — sons Kyler, 6, and Ryder, 3 — will be able to get to know Saleh more. She hopes building a relationship might even help Kyler grieve his twin.
'He's excited about having another brother,' Wilson says of Kyler. 'He calls him his brother, because he has his heart. Having a piece of him we can talk to whenever we want makes him grieve a lot healthier.'
Read the original article on People