This past Wednesday, 8-year-old quadruple transplant patient Kyree Beachem met the parents of Arianna Morales, the little girl whose tragic death supplied her with the organs that saved her life. The meeting was bittersweet for both sides, as the two families realized they would forever have a special bond.

Kyree was born with Hirschprung's disease, a condition caused by missing nerve cells in the colon. It affects the large intestines and leads to difficulty digesting food and passing stool. In 2010, Kyree’s bowels completely failed, leaving her to be hooked up to IV fluids for 22 hours, ABC News reported. The treatment seriously damaged her other organs, and as a result left her waiting for a small bowel, colon, liver, and pancreas transplant for the past five years.

Arianna Morales, Kyree’s donor, had holoprosencephaly, a condition that impeded her brain from growing properly. She passed away suddenly in November, but when the Beachem family learned that a matching donor had been found, they had no idea of where the life-saving organs came from. It wasn’t until a family friend saw a news story on Arianna and began to piece the puzzle together that the two families learned of their special bond.

According to Kyree’s mother, Nan Beachem, the meeting between Kyree and Ariana's parents was very emotional. "No one broke down and sobbed, but there were a lot of quiet tears,” Beachem told ABC News. The Moraleses had brought numerous Christmas ornaments with them, so that Kyree could remember her “special angel, Arianna” during the holiday season.

kyree 2
The Moraleses gave Kryee Christmas ornaments to help her remember Arianna. Facebook/ Kryee's Dream Team