Tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

  • Jenny Burns, 37, and her husband Rob, 39, lost their 14-month-old son Beau in 2022 after he drowned in their pool
  • Beau’s organs saved the lives of three people, including April Flores’ four-month-old son Eli who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome
  • Jenny and Rob shared a tear-jerking moment as they listened to Beau’s heart beating strong and fast in Eli’s chest

A Texas mom couldn’t hold back her tears as she listened to the heart of her 14-month-old toddler, who drowned in a backyard pool, beating inside another little boy’s chest after she donated her child’s organs.

Jenny Burns, 37, and her husband Rob, 39, endured the toughest days in 2022 when they pulled their son Beau, who had become unconscious, from the backyard pool of their Dallas home.

When the Burns family faced the devastating reality of Beau not surviving, they did not know that April Flores, a 32-year-old single mother of a four-month-old boy, was fervently praying for her son.

The couple made a courageous choice to donate Beau’s organs to three people, one of whom was the four-month-old Eli who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

A year after the successful transplant, the two families came together, sharing a tear-jerking moment as Jenny and Bob listened to Beau’s heart beating strong and fast in Eli’s chest.

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

Jenny Burns, 37, and her husband Rob, 39 couldn’t hold back their tears as they listened to the heart of their 14-month-old toddler Beau, who drowned in a backyard pool, beating inside another little boy’s chest after she donated her child’s organs

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

Jenny and Rob endured the toughest days in 2022 when they pulled Beau, who had become unconscious, from the backyard pool of their Dallas, Texas home

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

When the Burns family faced the devastating reality of Beau not surviving, they did not know that April Flores (second on the left), a 32-year-old single mother of a four-month-old boy, was fervently praying for her son

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

Beau’s (pictured) heartbeat was restored through a PCR but the 14-month-old was unable to survive, passing away four days later

Jenny told PEOPLE: ‘That first initial meeting, looking into Eli’s mom’s eyes and just seeing how grateful she was and then knowing that Eli’s living so well because of our decision… it was just overwhelming.’

‘Rob and I like to say it was Beau’s gift, but now it’s Eli’s heart. The heartbeat was so strong and so fast – a little boy’s heartbeat.’

Jenny remembered the moment when she frantically screamed to her husband upon realizing that Beau was missing.

‘When I couldn’t find him — I searched for a good three minutes — I knew he was in the pool. You just start hoping and praying,’

‘I was praying a miracle would happen. God was there with me,’ Jenny said.

Although Beau’s heartbeat was restored through a PCR, the 14-month-old was unable to survive, passing away after four days.

‘I thought for a good four days that there was hope that he would survive. But on the fourth day, the doctor told us he was not coming back and we had to decide what we would like to do,’ Jenny said.

Rob said the decision to donate his son’s organs was a no-brainer, even though the family was enduring the worst nightmare after losing Beau.

‘My mom and my grandmother were both nurse practitioners, so I grew up in a household that was very focused on medical education and understanding the importance of decisions you make,’ he said.

‘And while it was a very tough day for us, I knew that someone was going to get that miracle phone call, so for me.’

Jenny added: ‘It was a leap of faith. You really had to trust that the decision you’re making is for the best, and it’s so hard at that moment. You don’t know what it will be like knowing that you’re saving lives.’

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

Beau

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

Eli

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

Jenny added: ‘It was a leap of faith. You really had to trust that the decision you’re making is for the best, and it’s so hard at that moment. You don’t know what it will be like knowing that you’re saving lives’

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

When being reached out by the Burns family last year, Flores acknowledged that she was concerned

That night, Flores learned about the Burns’ family loss but had no idea about what would unfold next.

‘I prayed hard for the family that was losing their significant other, their child. I didn’t know where it was coming from,’ Flores said.

‘The night we found out, before bed, I prayed for a heart for Eli because he has a whole life to live.’

‘At 3.47am, I got the call from our heart transplant team… after the transplant, it was an instantly different Eli. There was so much joy I could see through his face.

When being reached out by the Burns family last year, Flores acknowledged that she was concerned.

‘I’m a single mother. What if they wanted their son’s heart to go to a family with a mother and a father? Is my son good enough for them to have received their son’s heart?’ Flores recalled.

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

Jenny and Rob also met four-year-old Leonel, who was born with Citrullinemia Type 1 and saved by Beau

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

Leonel’s mother Ginamarie Rodriguez (second from the left) shared the exact same feeling, saying: ‘I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like family. Going through everything we both went through, we’re all grieving. I’ll be forever thankful to them

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

‘Leonel is so beautiful. He’s just this rambunctious little 4-year-old, and it was so good seeing him just laugh and live so loud,’ Jenny said

But as the two families reunited in October of last year, all fears dissipated, replaced by big hugs and tears as they greeted each other.

Flores said: ‘It was just an instant connection. It is hard to put into words what they have done giving my son a chance at life, but we are connected forever.

Jenny and Rob also met four-year-old Leonel, born with Citrullinemia Type 1, whose life was saved by Beau’s liver.

‘Leonel is so beautiful. He’s just this rambunctious little 4-year-old, and it was so good seeing him just laugh and live so loud,’ Jenny said.

‘I don’t know what it is with these women, but we have this amazing bond. Both Ginamarie and April are going to be in our lives forever, and I get two more sons.’

Leonel’s mother Ginamarie Rodriguez shared the exact same feeling, saying: ‘I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like family. Going through everything we both went through, we’re all grieving. I’ll be forever thankful to them.’

tear-jerking moment mom of 14-month-old toddler who drowned in backyard pool weeps as she listens to his heart beating inside another little boy's chest after donating his organs

In January 2023, Jenny discovered she was pregnant with another baby boy and joyfully welcomed Jack, whom she described as a ‘miracle,’ as she shared the news with DailyMail.com

In January 2023, Jenny discovered she was pregnant with another baby boy and joyfully welcomed Jack, whom she described as a ‘miracle,’ as she shared the news with DailyMail.com.

Jenny said it’s her mission to share Beau’s story and spread knowledge about organ donation, drowning prevention, and child loss grief.

‘Without my husband, I probably would have said no. [I felt like] they were taking away properly saying goodbye to my son, but Rob saw the bigger picture, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,’ she said.

‘Beau was gone and there wasn’t anything I could do about it, but I could do this and help somebody else [and] help another mom with their little boy. Getting to see them grow up and see their mom’s love on them heals my heart.’

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