LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Nearly 23 years after losing their son in a tragic car crash, an Arkansas family has met the woman whose life was saved by his organ donation, a moment filled with grief, gratitude and healing.

“I have had such a wonderful life because of Matthew.”

For the Burdick family, that moment was decades in the making.

Nancy Giddens is alive today because of a decision made in the Burdicks’ darkest hour. On Friday, she met the family of Matthew Burdick for the first time, the 17-year-old whose organ donation saved her life.

“I was elated. I was grateful. I was thankful,” Giddens said.

Matthew Burdick was a high school quarterback at Joe T. Robinson High School when he died in a car crash in 2003. He was just 17 years old. In the midst of their grief, his family chose to donate his organs, a decision that would go on to save lives.

“One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and that’s important when you think about the number of people that are on the transplant list,” said Brandon Morris, external affairs vice president for Southern Legacy of Life.

For years, the Burdick family did not know who received Matthew’s organs. They only hoped his legacy was living on. Now, they know Giddens received his liver, a transplant that saved her life.

“She has been taking care of my baby boy all these years, very well. Yeah, I’m just thankful for her,” the family said.

The meeting brought a mix of emotions, both joyful and heartbreaking. Giddens said she has carried the responsibility of that gift every day.

“The greatest gift I could give them would be to give them back their son, but I can’t. So my responsibility is to take the best care of him, the little piece of him that I have, to take the very best care of it for as long as I possibly can,” she said.

In place of loss, a new bond is now forming between the two families.

“We’ll be in contact with our new family member,” the Burdicks said.

Giddens said Matthew’s presence continues to guide her through life.

“He keeps me strong. Together, we’re strong. That’s what I say. You know, when I have tough times, I say, ‘Come on, man, we got it. We can do this. We got to do this. Help me.’ And he does,” she said.

For Matthew’s mother, Lynnette Burdick, the meeting was not about closure, but about seeing her son’s story continue in someone else’s life.