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Boston woman receives life saving gift from WNY

"She seemed like a really loving person and I think I can actually feel that in my heart."

At 64 years old, Judy Adams of Boston thought she won the battle of her life when she beat breast cancer.

However, not long after finding out she was 'cancer free,' she discovered the treatment that saved her life was now the reason she would have to fight for it again.

The chemotherapy treatments led Judy to have heart failure. "I guess the medication is known for doing that, and it just happened to happen to me, and I needed the heart," said Adams.

Adams was put on a donor list and patiently waited for a heart to save her life.

She continued, "I kinda took it with a grain of salt, but then on the other hand, I'm thinking how much longer am I gonna hold on? Am I not going to hold on?"

Meantime in Western New York, the Barrett family had just lost their 20 year old daughter Madison in a car accident.

Madison was an organ donor and gave Judy the heart she desperately needed.

"The one thing that I really regret is not taking a stethoscope and listening to her heart beat when we said goodbye," said Madison's mother, Chalis Barrett.

Judy had the transplant surgery at a medical center in Boston. "The next day I was thinking and I noticed I felt different. I had a different outlook on life a whole new outlook," said Adams.

Without knowing her, Madison's father Jim, needed Judy's help with his wife's Christmas present.

"He asked them to ask me if I would let them record my heart for his wife" said Adams.

That heartbeat was put in a bear for her to keep forever. "I heard my daughters heart beat, but not only that, I heard it in somebody she helped," said Barrett.

"I just think of her parents losing their child that young. She hadn't started her life. I just wanted them to have closure. I already had mine," said Adams.

Judy and the the Barrett family have said they would like to meet. UNYTS told 2 On Your Side they are working to make that happen.

"She seemed like a really loving person and I think I can actually feel that in my heart," said Adams.

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