However, its actually healthier, The child support ends when the child is 21 years old. He valued friendship. "Regenerative medicine is for us an investment in our future and the future of medicine. As for the Hawaii locations, the team made the most of sights in Kapolei, Ko Olina Marina, Waikiki, and Kualoa Beach. However, Jorge pushed on with his difficult lungs and even made it past the age of 40, which doctors, again, had said was highly unlikely. You may recognize that name from the brand of rum Jorge is of the Bacardi Rum dynasty. Furthermore, even his cornea were donated to two other people. Christopher Gregorys family members include parents:EricandGrace. He died 10 years ago last month. Christopher Gregory is the reason behind The Gabriel House establishment. Thanks to his donor, Christopher, Jorge was able to live until he was 76 before passing away in September of 2020. The excitement with which we look forward to the advancement of regenerative medicine will keep us hopeful for solutions to many medical mysteries.". Cum sociis atoque penatibus. Jorge Bacardi was born into a life most of would consider winning the luck lottery. His heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas were shipped to the same Jacksonville hospital where Bacardi had his transplant. By he was 50 years old, the doctors diagnosed him with primary ciliary dyskinesia. Leslie and Jorge traveled to the Gregory's home in Baltimore for an emotional meeting with Christopher's parents and family members. Because every day that they wake up they can love someone. Ever since he was a boy, Jorge had suffered from a life-threatening lung disease called primary ciliary dyskinesia. . He received Christopher's lungs. Read More:Where are Eric and Grace Gregory Now? Jorge and his wife Leslie donated $13.5 million to open what became the Gabriel House of Care at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. As a result, he had to breathe through a tube in his chest. Dr. Keller: So there's a lot of people that is thankful for obviously all of us that belong to the science part of that process. Its a film about the power of love, and how it can bring people together, even when they dont know each other. The film is based on the real-life story of Jorge Bacardi of the Bacardi Rum dynasty and Christopher Gregory, an organ donor who tragically and suddenly passed away at the age of 19 from a brain aneurysm. Jorge and his wife Leslie were residing in the Bahamas when they found out that a matching organ donor had passed away. 2 Hearts is based on a true story, so lets get the events and people which inspired the 2020 movie explained. For the first year after his surgery, Jorge did not know the identity of his donor. 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Leslie grew up to become an air hostess with Pan Am, which is where she met her future husband Jorge Bacardi of the Bacardi spirit empire. Conrad Hool was a co-producer, while his brother, Lance Hool, was co-producer and director, and Marin was an associate producer. One of those couples is Jorge and Leslie Bacardi, who, being at their wits end with Jorges worsening health condition, find a life-saving miracle in the tragic death of Christopher, whose lungs are donated to Jorge and end up saving his life. Jorge even cultivated a friendship with Christophers parents, Eric and Grace Gregory, and sent them pictures of him with Chris, doing activities like fishing that he could only do thanks to the young mans lungs. Jorge was 64-years-old at the time of the surgery. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. That's what regenerative medicine is all about, trying to use this technology and trying to make what it appears to be science fiction to be a fact. Sign up to receive our newsletter! The care house is aimed at helping long-term patients who require lodging during their treatment. That doesnt matter. When Jorge received word that a lung transplant was available he was in the Bahamas. How accurate is 2 Hearts? The performers Jacob, Jordan, and Tiera jetted off to the U.S. state in the Western United States before filming began because Tiera had never actually visited before. Christopher's organs were donated to five people, one of them being Jorge. Jorge Bacardi: It's a field of study that needs to be encouraged. He always brought light to every room entered. A child, a spouse, a niece or a nephew. It may take a while to reap any benefits, but when those benefits do come, it will make the investment seem small. The companys brands include rum, brandy, gin, vodka, tequila, rum-based liqueurs and other spirits. Raised in Maryland, Chris Gregory was a 19-year-old freshman at Loyola University in New Orleans, a Jesuit college. As an adult he would inherit hundreds of millions of dollars. And then we waited. Similar to what's seen in the movie, the true story reveals that he collapsed while hanging out in a friend's apartment. Eric and Grace live in Cave Creek, Arizona, where Eric, having left his job of over 30 years with UPS in 2018, is now a writer, speaker, and volunteer for the Donor Network of Arizona. (Detailed Guide). Also, the movie stresses selfless acts of kindness, marriage, family, having a baby, and treating every day as a miracle. Gabriel House provides a safe space with therapy programs to reduce stress and improve quality of life. With The Clearest Explanation, How To Fix A Hole In Clothes Without Sewing? The home was dedicated to Christopher. As for the Hawaii locations, the team made the most of sights in, Preproduction work and some postproduction was done at Santa Fe Studios, while the movie was filmed in. -All My Tomorrows. The neurologists cautioned his family that Chris's prognosis was somewhat dire. And we will never forget their parents and brothers and sisters who carry that heavy burden in their hearts. A double-lung transplant at Mayo's Florida campus in 2008 enabled him to take his first full breath of air at age 64. But who is the real Leslie whose husband was miraculously saved? He was nineteen years old, and a freshman at Loyola University New Orleans. And if they matter, then Chris matters, and his sacrifice means something. While the film may seem entirely fictional considering its dramatic premise, it was actually based on real events from the life of Jorge Bacardi and Christopher Gregory, taking its material for a book written by Chris' father, Eric, titled: All My Tomorrows: A Story of Tragedy, Transplant and Hope. Think about a patient with Lou Gehrig's disease, or diabetes. They read, "To Gabriel and his family: I am the recipient of a gift from your son that is beyond repayment. Yes. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised. Nevertheless, you have shared with me the grandest gift I will ever receive the gift of life., It took me nine months to finally discover the lines of the letter that had been whited out. Their gift also will be used to greatly accelerate regenerative medicine work at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus, and will establish the Jorge and Leslie Bacardi Associate Director for the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics in Florida, a position currently held by Thomas A. Gonwa, M.D. When 19-year old Christopher Gregory passed away of a ruptured brain aneurysm in New Orleans, his wish to donate his organs resulted in Jorge, who had been on the organ waiting list, receiving Gregorys lungs. He didnt care if you were black or white, rich or poor. Chris never had much money, but if he had ten dollars, and you needed five, it was yours for the asking. A year later he finally learned of Christoper's identity and fate. Jorges lungs were so weak that he couldnt get enough oxygen into his blood to sustain his life. Some studies are in the earliest stages. During that time, they pumped him full of steroids and other drugs to make him stronger and healthier. Jorge Bacardi was a member of the Bacardi family, the eponymous owners of one of the world's largest family-owned spirit companies. "The Bacardis' generosity will help us transform medical care for people with some of the most difficult-to-treat conditions.". The double lung transplant surgery that the Bacardi executive then underwent was a success, and Jorge got a new lease on life. We miss him every day. One of his organ donation receivers was renowned businessman Jorge Bacardi. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'millionsofcelebs_com-box-4','ezslot_4',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-millionsofcelebs_com-box-4-0');Christopher Gregorys death led to the survival of Jorge Bacardi. Your email address will not be published. How His Death led To The Gabriel House. "We are very grateful for the Bacardis' gift, which will accelerate our ability to provide regenerative medicine solutions to patients," says Dr. Gonwa, who is also chair of the Department of Transplantation at Mayo Clinic in Florida. But just about everything else depicted in the film is relatively accurate, including Jorge reaching out to Chris parents. Read more about the people who support Mayo Clinic and the life-changing discoveries that bring hope and healing to patients in need. Bacardi had a lung problem since his childhood. Cesar M. Keller, M.D., Director, Lung Transplant Program, Mayo Clinic in Florida: One of the questions that becomes is, well, could we build, could we custom build a lung, which could be built with your own cells, so whenever your lung needs to be substituted, whenever you need a transplant of a lung or any other organ, could you custom build that organ so when you receive it, it's yours, made of your own cells, so you will never reject it. His parents and two older . Shattered by his death, little did Eric and Grace realize the far-reaching effects their son's demise would have. And now, after the transplant, of course, I've gone back to what I've been able to do all my life. Regenerative medicine addresses the root causes of disease and disability by developing ways to rejuvenate the body using its natural self-healing processes, replace damaged cells with healthy ones derived from the patient (avoiding immune system rejection), and regenerate function by applying specific cells or cell products. He was generous. All rights reserved. Stay current with the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. for video Paying forward the gift of life. His new lease on life and Christophers role in it is even mentioned in Jorges obituary. His double lung transplant was an enormous gift given by Christopher Gregory, which gave him 12 more years with his beloved wife, Leslie, and their loving family. It was impossible to read them. Chris Gregory was a real college student who died, and his act of organ donation helped five other recipients, including the real Jorge Bacardi, who actually did need a lung transplant. The families remained in touch until Jorges death on September 23, 2020, less than a month before the release of the 2 Hearts movie. The letter's author was Jorge Bacardi. Two additional patients received his corneas. "What am I going to do with my organs after I'm dead? The only way he could breathe was with the help of a respirator, a device that pushes air in and out of your lungs through your mouth and nose. A fact-check of the movie reveals that Jorge Bacardi is a Cuban exile and is a descendant of the founder of the Bacardi liquor company. In the years following his lung transplant, the Bacardi executive was able to undertake outdoor activities and acknowledged that his lung capacity tested at 128 percent. 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