Heart transplant recipient thankful for organ donor’s gift

‘Such a good man’

Several states away in Texas, Toby Hasten’s family and friends were mourning the loss of a vibrant young man, just 25 years old. Hasten had been on his way home from singing karaoke with friends on Dec. 23 when a tragic car accident occurred.

Toby loved the outdoors and especially enjoyed hunting, fishing and carpentry. He and his fiancée Katie Pennartz were planning a fall wedding and intended to adopt Toby’s nephew after their wedding.

“He was such a good man — very family oriented,” said Martin Hasten, Toby’s father. “I saw him almost every day. He was excited to get married and have kids.”

Toby was so eager to marry Pennartz that the hospital staff coordinated a symbolic commitment ceremony for the couple on Christmas morning.

“We’d known each other since we were 11,” said Pennartz. “I worked at the hospital, and my friends were taking care of Toby. They recorded his heartbeat for me, and I listen to it every night.”

A meeting and a reunion

Two years later, Pennartz heard Toby’s heart beating again — in Easterling’s body.

Easterling and Toby’s family participated in a special event coordinated through Baptist Heart Institute and Mid-South Transplant Foundation where nine heart transplant recipients met their donors’ families in an emotional and touching ceremony.

When Maxine and Martin Hasten were approached about meeting the man who received their son’s heart, they jumped at the chance.

“All we knew was a man in his 50s got Toby’s heart,” said Martin. “We didn’t know what to expect when we met him.”

They would soon meet Easterling during the event, which featured videos of the transplant recipients sharing their stories. Hasten recalled his reaction to seeing Easterling’s video.

“We didn’t know yet if the man in the video was Toby’s match,” he explained, “but he was wearing a Patriots jersey, and I told my wife, ‘I bet that’s him.’ Toby loved football.”

Sure enough, the man in the Patriots jersey was Patrick Easterling, who threw his arms around Martin and Toby’s sister, Amanda, when they met.

Meeting Toby’s family was a surreal experience for Easterling. He broke down during the event when he saw a photo of the man who gave him a new life.

“It hit me so hard,” he said. “They hugged me as tightly as my own mother would have. Meeting them felt like a family reunion. I told them I’m their family now.”

Toby’s parents and fiancée traveled from Texas to meet Easterling, and Toby’s sister came from Illinois with her husband and children. They spent hours visiting and solidifying their unique but strong new bond, marveling over the similarities between Toby and Easterling.

 “I did tell Patrick, ‘You know, you’ve got a Dallas Cowboys heart in there,’” Martin laughed. 

Toby’s nephew Trace also attended. Pennartz formally adopted the 7-year-old boy six months ago, and he’ll grow up hearing about his outdoorsy and hardworking uncle. 

The families discovered Easterling and Toby shared more than just a love of football. They both enjoyed cooking for their families.

“Toby would always be smoking meat for big family cookouts,” Martin said.

“Oh, that man could cook!” Pennartz said. “I swear you could gain weight just looking at his brisket.”

Pennartz said she laughed when Easterling told her he’d been waking up at 2 a.m. and working on his car. He’d never done that before, but it sounded familiar to Toby’s fiancée.

“Toby was always working on something. We spent nine months renovating our house. He’d be at work for 12 hours, then we’d get right to work tearing down walls when he came home. When Patrick said he was suddenly doing DIY projects, it sounded just like Toby.”

The families have kept in touch and feel a special bond with one another, especially after Toby’s family listened to Toby’s heart beating in its new home.

Easterling’s transplant journey didn’t end with surgery. It’s a lifelong commitment to keep a new organ healthy. He takes about 30 pills a day and will return to Baptist Heart Institute for checkups for the rest of his life.

A heart for helping

Three others received organs from Toby, but the family doesn’t know anything about those recipients. They are proud of the young man who saved four lives through organ donation, a decision he made in the aftermath of another tragedy. He registered as an organ donor after losing two friends in a car accident years ago.

“His friend was an organ donor,” said Pennartz, “and Toby wanted to be able to help others if he were in a similar situation.”

When asked what she’d want people to know about Toby, Pennartz immediately said, “He had such a big heart and was the first person to jump in if someone needed help.”

That heart lives on in Patrick Easterling, and Toby’s loved ones know it’s in the right place.

“Patrick is a great guy,” said Martin.

“It was a very good match,” Pennartz added. “I wouldn’t want his heart going to anyone else.”