The only thing that could save Jorge's life was a double lung transplant. Jorge Bacardi, whose family has manufactured rum and other spirits for 150 years, suffered since childhood with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a debilitating lung disease that nearly ended his life. Sign up to receive our newsletter! Christopher Gregory Obituary: In the loving memory of Christopher Gregory, we are saddened to inform you that Christopher Gregory, a beloved and loyal friend, has passed away. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'millionsofcelebs_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',125,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-millionsofcelebs_com-medrectangle-4-0');Gregory was a 19 years old college student at Loyola University. However, he wasn't diagnosed with the disease until he was in his fifties. The care house continues to provide patients, and their caregivers with comfortable accommodation whilst they undergo long-term treatments for cancer or organ transplants. This is, tragically, much different than real life, as Chris died at the age of 19 while still a college freshman. Predeceased by his brothers Joaquin and Alberto, Jorge was survived by his sister Carmen and his wife Leslie Bacardi. At 19 he lost his life, suddenly, because of a brain aneurysm. Jorge was 64-years-old at the time of the surgery. He never saw it coming and neither did we. He valued friendship. The movie is based on the true story of Christopher Gregory and Jorge Bacardi yes, of the rum empire whose last name has been changed to Bolivar in 2 Hearts. Gregory passed away from a brain aneurysm at the age of 43 in 2007. Jorges family has also established a scholarship fund for children of cancer patients. Jorge Bacardi passed away on September 23, 2020, at his home in the exclusive gated community Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. Yes, it sure is! Conrad Hool was a co-producer, while his brother, Lance Hool, was co-producer and director, and Marin was an associate producer. Jorge Bacardi, whose family has manufactured rum and other spirits for 150 years, suffered since childhood with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a debilitating lung disease that nearly ended his life. However, Jorge pushed on with his difficult lungs and even made it past the age of 40, which doctors, again, had said was highly unlikely. Leslie was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend and friend of many. "Regenerative medicine is an extraordinary step in the evolution of mankind," says Jorge. Before his death, the teenager decided to donate his organs. Instead of waiting for an ambulance, his friends carried him to their car and rushed him to the Tulane University Medical Center where the diagnosis was eventually made. In his early sixties, Jorge was on oxygen and near death's door. However his untimely death left her in shock. The disease Jorge actually suffered from was called primary ciliary dyskinesia. Yes, it is! After receiving the transplant he wanted to honor Christopher, so he gave the gift of Gabriel House. Mayo's regenerative medicine researchers are targeting conditions throughout the body, including heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and traumatic injuries that affect combat veterans. Some studies are in the earliest stages. The real-life story of Christopher Gregory, an organ donor who tragically passed away at the age of 38, is the basis of the film. Regenerative medicine is no longer science fiction, and a leadership level gift from Jorge and Leslie Bacardi of the Bahamas will accelerate the research of Mayo Clinic's Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics on the Florida campus. Nevertheless, you have shared with me the grandest gift I will ever receive the gift of life., It took me nine months to finally discover the lines of the letter that had been whited out. The double lung transplant surgery that the Bacardi executive then underwent was a success, and Jorge got a new lease on life. But that evening, while he sorted through the important documents his wife would need, he received a call that there was a match. Shattered by his death, little did Eric and Grace realize the far-reaching effects their sons demise would have. And during that emotion-filled reunion the Bacardis shared with us their plans to construct a house of care at the Mayo Clinic, and name it for Chris. Bacardi was so moved by the story that he donated his liver to Gregory, who was then able to live a full and healthy life. The letter's author was Jorge Bacardi. I hope so. Prayer is extolled, characters make the Sign of the Cross, and theres a priest. Jorge was diagnosed with this disease when he was a child. How old was Jorge Bacardi when he got his transplant? Jorge was 12 years old, doctors told him he would never be able to live a normal life, so they put him in a medically-induced coma for two months. From what we can tell, even after the death of her husband, Leslie continued to promote the movie and also maintains a friendship with the Gregory family. Imagine a future in which a new lung is grown for a patient in need, using the patient's own cellular material, or a day when an injection of replacement cells will enable a patient to self-heal damage in the brain, nerves or other tissues. But just about everything else depicted in the film is relatively accurate, including Jorge reaching out to Chris parents. Yet, the name and details of the donor were kept secret. Without the seven-hour surgery Bacardi endured in Jacksonville, Florida for his new lungs, it is not likely he would have survived for much longer. The process of donating a childs organs is neither simple nor quick. The facility's name honors Christopher Mark Gregory, who lost his life at age 19, and whose gift of organ donation enabled Jorge to receive his transplant. Like in the movie, this included his mother, father and two older brothers, John and Colin. He was very near death when he received Christophers lungs in a double lung transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. "What am I going to do with my organs after I'm dead? Leslie Bacardi was born Leslie Folk to Robert and Leslie Folk from El Paso, Texas. Chris died through no fault of his own. He was able to play tennis and go fishing. Your gift helps Mayo Clinic develop next-generation treatments to finally defeat the most feared diseases and cure the most intractable conditions. Jorge Bacardi passed away on September 23, 2020, at his home in the Bahamas. It came as no surprise to anyone that Chris was a registered organ donor as soon as he had a license to drive. To us it does not matter that they might be rich and have a famous name, or if they are anonymous and of simpler means. ), What Is A Chainsaw? The true story behind 2 Hearts confirms that Chris's family was by his side in the hospital during his final days. Christopher Mark Gregory registered as an organ donor at age 16. Christopher Gregory is the reason behind The Gabriel House establishment. He did. But that is only part of Chris story. Bring your Kleenex, you may shed a tear or two. . "Theres planes flying all over the country tonight because of your boy, he said. When his grandfather was in home hospice, during Chris senior year in high school, Chris would drive out of his way after school to check up on him. "That, to us, was just mind-boggling," Leslie says. A few months later, they received a letter of gratitude from who they later learned was Jorge Bacardi, of the Bacardi spirits empire. We miss him every day. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Inspired by the true story of Christopher Gregory and Jorge Bacardi an heir to the Bacardi rum empire the romantic tearjerker has both a sad and a happy ending, leaving viewers feeling inspired but heartbroken. Yes, it is! How accurate is 2 Hearts? When Jorge received word that a lung transplant was available he was in the Bahamas. He was raised in New York City and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in business administration, according to his obituary in the Austin American-Statesman. He was able to breathe on his own for the first time in more than 20 years. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He was very near death when he received Christopher's lungs in a double lung transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. As an adult he would inherit hundreds of millions of dollars. And so Nic is alive and well, thanks to Chris generosity. That doesnt matter. January 3, 2022 Jorge Bacardi was a member of the Bacardi family, which owns one of the world's largest and most family-owned alcohol corporations. Error message goes here. The film is based on the real-life story of Jorge Bacardi of the Bacardi Rum dynasty and Christopher Gregory, an organ donor who tragically and suddenly passed away at the age of 19 from a brain aneurysm. The double lung transplant surgery that the Bacardi executive then underwent was a success, and Jorge got a new lease on life. It is dedicated not only to Chris, but to organ donors everywhere. Organ donation represents humanity at its very best. In the late 1990s, however, it was realized that the initial diagnosis of Jorges condition had been inaccurate and that he suffered from a congenital disease called primary ciliary dyskinesia. The movie is based on the true story of Christopher Gregory and Jorge Bacardi yes, of the rum empire whose last name has been changed to Bolivar in 2 Hearts. Gregory passed away from a brain aneurysm at the age of 19. Chris loved everyone. They were the most beautiful people Ive ever met, said one friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the case. Bacardi had a lung problem since his childhood. Six years ago, or just a little over six years ago, I was on oxygen. The film is based on the real-life story of Jorge Bacardi. We soon met Nic Whitacre, founder of the H-E-R-O Movement, an internet-based advocacy initiative. Lets get to know Jorge Bacardis story. Who gave Jorge Bacardi his lungs? In the years following his surgery, Jorge began to refer to Christopher as his guardian angel, Gabriel, and helped set up the Gabriel House of Care at the Mayo Clinic hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. (Helpful Examples). 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. When Jorge received word that a lung transplant was available he was in the Bahamas. 2 Hearts is an inspirational movie that plays like a Hallmark movie, which is fine with me as the intended messages are brought to the forefront with believable and charming characters. What Age Does Child Support End In Ny? The two enjoy spending time with their granddaughters and family. Its a film about the power of love, and how it can bring people together, even when they dont know each other. Lets find out. And thats what Chris would want. Her father, better known as Bob, was a graduate of the Texas School of Mines and served during World War 2 at the Boston Naval Yard as a Lieutenant in the Navy. His parents and two older brothers rushed to New Orleans to be by his side. Jorge Bacardi was born into a life most of would consider winning the luck lottery. Already part of a successful business empire, Jorge went on to study Economics at Stanford University and Industrial Engineering at Miami University. (Detailed Guide), What Smell Do Rats And Mice Hate? Read More:Where are Eric and Grace Gregory Now? Leslie Bacardi lives in the exclusive gated community of Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. Christopher Gregory's death led to the survival of Jorge Bacardi. While the film may seem entirely fictional considering its dramatic premise, it was actually based on real events from the life of Jorge Bacardi and Christopher Gregory, taking its material for a book written by Chris' father, Eric, titled: All My Tomorrows: A Story of Tragedy, Transplant and Hope. Born to Caridad and Joaquin Bacardi on April 6, 1944, in Santiago de Cuba, Jorges birth came in the same year that his family company expanded to the United States. And, to me, it's a field of medicine that is definitely the future. They benefit from the rum and the spirits. Required fields are marked *. He placed greater value in relationships with people than with objects to be possessed. Next doctors told him he wouldn't live to be 40. His recovery has been remarkable despite his surgery being complex. The 19-year old was a freshman at Loyola University, New Orleans, at the time. That's what regenerative medicine is all about, trying to use this technology and trying to make what it appears to be science fiction to be a fact. Eric and Grace Gregory are the parents of Christopher Gregory, who unexpectedly died of a ruptured brain aneurysm in March 2008. The mucus that sticks to the lining of the lungs is caused by primary ciliary dyssiaa, a disease in which the cilia that move mucus through the airways are abnormal. 2 Hearts The action is set in a barely defined place and time with Jorges tale beginning somewhere in the 60s, based on his penchant for Pan-Am and stewardess Leslie (Mitchell). However, throughout their years together and even before that, Jorge had suffered from a congenital lung disease called primary ciliary dyskinesia that kept worsening as he got older. Jorge Bacardi was a member of the Bacardi family, the eponymous owners of one of the world's largest family-owned spirit companies. Regenerative medicine addresses the root causes of disease and disability by developing ways to rejuvenate the body using its natural self-healing processes, replace damaged cells with healthy ones derived from the patient (avoiding immune system rejection), and regenerate function by applying specific cells or cell products. On Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020, Jorge Enrique Bacardi, loving husband of Leslie Bacardi, passed away peacefully alongside his wife of, This is, tragically, much different than real life, as Chris died at the age of 19 while still a college freshman. 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