Wright on new heart: 'Thank God I'm here still for my wife, my children and my grandsons'

Though a 2020 hit-and-run accident took Dallas resident Jordan Santiago's life at age 25, his decision to become an organ donor ensures that people such as Ernest Wright, of Montgomery County, get a second chance at theirs.

According to a report from Houston FOX affiliate KRIV, Ernest and his wife, Bridget, are forever grateful to Jordan and the Santiago family.

Ernest was hospitalized for heart failure and in need of a new heart when it was determined that Jordan's was a perfect match for him.

Dallas-Fort Worth NBC affiliate KXAS reported that Jordan, a popular young accountant, was killed in Dallas's Uptown neighborhood on Sept. 25, 2020 as he attempted to cross the street. 

According to KXAS, Jordan held a master's degree from the University of Arkansas and was employed at the Dallas office of PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

A nonprofit organization called the Jordan Santiago ICARE Foundation was established in his memory.

KRIV reported that Ernest met Jordan's parents, for whom the moment was bittersweet.

"We have strong faith and that is what has kept us going," Andrew Santiago, Jordan's father, said, according to the station.

Mother Heather said being an organ donor was what her son was all about. 

"He put it on his driver's license," she said, per KRIV. "That was typical Jordan. To know he lives on in other people, so they can fulfill their purpose, so out of the ashes comes beauty."

The Santiagos were able to listen to Jordan's heart beat inside another person, according to the station.

According to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), over 40,000 transplants were performed last year.

The HRSA's website reported that 106,110 sit on the national transplant waiting list.

Thanks to Jordan, Ernest's name is no longer on the list.

"Thank God I'm here still for my wife, my children and my grandsons," Ernest told KRIV.