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A Change of Heart [Case Histories gathered by William Novak]

Harriet, a physician, was one of Paul Pearsall's patients. Years ago, on a rainy night, she and her husband were driving home from a party. They'd had an argument, and now they were riding in silence. The only sound in their car was the persistent clicking of the windscreen wipers.  Suddenly,  out of nowhere, another car came crashing through their windshield.

Harriet was knocked unconscious; her husband was killed.

He had signed an organ donor card and when Harriet awoke in the hospital, she weakly gave permission for his heart to be donated. Years after this event, she came to Dr. Pearsall for help.

She had tried everything, she told him, including psychics and mediums, in an effort to make contact with her deceased husband. She asked Dr Pearsall if it might be possible for her to meet the young man who received her husband's heart.

"I want to feel that heart again", she told him, "I know this sounds crazy, but I can't help it."

After many calls and conversations, Pearsall was able to arrange a meeting between Harriet and the recipient of her husband's heart. As Pearsall and Harriet waited for the young man to arrive, Harriet suddenly said, "He's here,  I can feel him."- The recipient, who was coming with his mother,  wasn't expected for another half hour. But a moment later,  the young man walked into the room.

"Can I hold you?" Harriet asked him. For several moments they stood chest to chest, crying. Later, Harriet asked if she could feel his heart. The young man nodded and placed her hand against his naked chest.

"I love you, sweetie," she said. Then she slowly removed her hand. The young man put on his shirt and nodded again, as if to indicate that he understood to whom this comment was directed.

"I felt him," Harriet said softly. "I could almost hear him. Not his voice, but him. I could feel his essence, his energy. I know it's okay now."

The young man began to giggle. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I suddenly feel light hearted. For the first time, my heart actually feels light."

His mother, who hadn't said much, suddenly spoke up:
"That's the one thing the doctors couldn't explain. My son has always said that his new heart was too heavy in his chest. The doctors assured him it was all in his mind, but he kept saying it was too heavy."

"It isn't anymore," her son said. "It feels like it just got opened up, or cleared out."

He and Harriet talked a little more, and discussed several changes in the recipient that seemed to correlate with Harriet's husband. Then, just before he left, the young man turned to Harriet and said, "You know, there's just one thing I don't understand. Ever since the transplant, I've been bothered by the clicking of the windshield wipers on my car. I don't suppose you would know what that's about?"