An American family embrace after they hear the heart of their 21-year-old loved one who died in a house fire beat in the chest of a Vietnam War veteran.

Matthew Heisler, a student at the University of North Dakota, died in March. He'd signed up as an organ donor at 16.

As the Heislers grieved, Tom Meeks in Washington state was looking for a heart transplant. The war veteran was diagnosed with a rare disease called amyloidosis, but because of his age and other health concerns, five hospitals refused to consider him for a heart transplant, NBC News reported.

Surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., performed Meeks's transplant.

In total, 60 people were helped by Heisler's donations.

Eight months after Heisler's death, see how his parents and younger sister react when they listen to the heart beat in Meeks's chest. Click on the video above.