Toddler Forms Bond with Late Father’s Heart Recipient in Viral Video (Exclusive)

In 2022, Christopher Stiltner died in a single-vehicle accident while traveling with his then-pregnant wife, Candra, and young kids. He was 20.

Candra, who was in her second trimester, sustained minor injuries but survived the crash, along with their two daughters, after Christopher “shielded” them during the impact. 

“Christopher was the best daddy, he always put his babies first,” Candra, now 26, tells PEOPLE exclusively. 

She and Christopher met in school and were together for nine years, building a life together from a young age.

In 2018, they welcomed their first daughter, and though he was just 16 at the time, Christopher was determined to give his family the best life possible. 

Their second daughter was born in 2020, and they discovered they were expecting their third child in late 2021. Candra says, more than anything, Christopher cherished being a father – it was the role he loved most in the world.

“He was kind, caring, and very respectful to anyone he had contact with,” Candra recalls. “He always loved to help others in any way he could.”

Recognizing the profound impact of organ donation, Christopher made the thoughtful decision to register as a donor only a few months before the deadly accident – choosing to give the gift of life even in the face of tragedy.

Following his death, Christopher’s heart was donated to a man in need of a life-saving transplant, Dominique Wilson.

Wilson had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a type of heart disease that makes it harder to pump blood effectively and often causes shortness of breath, fatigue, and sudden cardiac arrest. It was Christopher’s heart that ultimately gave Wilson a second chance at living.

It wasn’t until two years after Christopher’s death that Candra learned the recipient’s identity and decided to reach out.  

“When I first found out about Dominique, all I wanted to do was make sure he was doing okay after the transplant and how his life was. I waited two years to meet him,” Candra reveals.

When they finally connected, there was an immediate sense of familiarity, as if she had known him her entire life. “It was the best day ever,” she says. “I finally felt like I could breathe, like Christopher was there.”

Recently, a video showing her young son, Vincent, who was born months after Christopher’s death, spending time with Wilson went viral, sparking emotional responses across social media.

Candra says she brought all three of her children along that day and Vincent, 3, immediately began playing with Wilson – laughing and connecting as if they’d shared a bond for years.

“Seeing Vincent and Dominique run around the park brought joy to my heart and made me feel like he found what he was always missing…time with his daddy,” Candra says. “Christopher loved the playground; he was a kid at heart and when Dom was playing with him, it brought me so much happiness.” 

For Candra, it felt as though Christopher’s presence was there that day – subtle but undeniable. 

“That day at the park, I smelt his cologne and it just made the experience of seeing Vincent and Dom together even more amazing,” Candra says. “Vincent felt that connection to Dom. He placed his little hand on his heart so I knew he knew his daddy was there.” 

Since then, Candra and Dominique have remained close friends, staying in touch every few days. She keeps him updated on the kids, sending photos throughout the week and checking in regularly to make sure he and his family are doing well.

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Though the ache of missing her husband never fades, she finds comfort in keeping his memory close in the everyday moments. 

“I talk about him any chance I get,” Candra tells PEOPLE. Whether it’s posting memories of him, buying items he would have loved or wearing his cologne and old clothes, she tries anything to feel just a little closer to him. 

In these small, heartfelt rituals, Christopher’s memory continues to live on in the lives he touched, just as his heart now beats in Wilson – a lasting reminder of the life he gave and the love he left behind.