Piers Morgan was choked up on today’s Good Morning Britain as he spoke to Bill Conner who heard his dead daughter’s heart beating through a man who had his life saved after her heart was donated to him.
Grieving dad Bill lost his 20-year-old daughter, Abbey, earlier this year after a tragic drowning accident.
Loumouth Jack Jr was just one of four people whose lives were saved by Abbey’s donated organs.
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Loumouth received Abbey’s heart after being given just 10 days to live following a heart attack.
Bill, who lives in Wisconsin, explained he cycled hundreds of miles to Louisiana to meet Loumouth to hear Abbey’s heart beating.
After listening to his daughter’s heart Bill said he felt she is “inside him and still alive”.
Speaking to Bill, Piers said: “I’m the father to a little girl and I can’t even imagine the agony you went through when your daughter died.”
Bill, who cycled 2,600 miles across America to raise awareness of organ donation, told hosts Piers and Susanna Reid: “I needed to find my own space with this. I’ve been a bike rider for the past four or five years and that was my therapy.
“I knew I had to do something to honour my daughter and my biggest fear was that this tragedy would not be recognised or that my daughter would be forgotten.”
Speaking about hearing his daughter’s heart beating in Loumouth Bill said: “I was happy for Jack Jr and his family because he’s there and able to spend Father’s Day with his dad.
“Second, Jack’s healthy and Abbey is inside of him and so she’s alive, and I was there spending Father’s Day with my daughter.
“The biggest thing is Abbey has always been the one to help people in need so being there on Father’s Day was a big step for me.
“No matter what, we’re here on this earth to help others in need. We need to make sure Abbey’s message gets out.
“Organ donation is so important. Someone dies every hour and we need organ donations. One donator can save eight lives.”
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Loumouth, who also spoke to the hosts via video call, explained how happy he was to meet Bill.
He said: “I was extremely excited to meet Mr Bill and Abbey’s family. Abbey did save my life and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about her and I feel very, very connected to her.
“It was very heart-warming, I knew Bill wanted to hear his daughter’s heart and I knew it would mean so much to him and although his daughter wasn’t there, being there on Father’s Day and just being able to hear her heart would do a great deal, and made me feel great also.”
Abbey passed away after she was found unconscious in a swimming pool during a holiday in Cancun.
Despite efforts to try and save Abbey’s life she had already suffered irreversible brain damage.
Viewers were in tears watching the heartbreaking story.
One said: “Such a inspirational yet heartbreaking story #AbbeyConnor #AFathersJourney! Well done Bill your Amazing @piersmorgan @susannareid #GMB [sic].”
“Such a lovely story so emotional I’m in bits here @GMB #GMB,” another said.
A third tweeted: “In tears watching #gmb.”
Such a inspirational yet heartbreaking story #AbbeyConnor #AFathersJourney ! Well done Bill your Amazing @piersmorgan @susannareid100 #GMB
— Nichola-Louise 💞🏴💞 (@nicholasmith6) June 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/JosieTofficial/status/879238526671486976
In tears watching #gmb
— kelly r (@rubykelb) June 26, 2017
A fourth added: “What a lovely story yet very emotional #BillConnor you’re truly inspirational #AFathersJourney #GMB @susannareid100.”
What a lovely story yet very emotional #BillConnor your truly inspirational #AFathersJourney #GMB @susannareid100
— Nichola-Louise 💞🏴💞 (@nicholasmith6) June 26, 2017