Man given bride’s father’s heart walks her down the aisle

A heart transplant recipient has walked his donor’s daughter down the aisle at her wedding in Philadelphia.

Jeni Stepien’s father died in a car accident in 2006, and his heart was donated, CBS reports.

Ms Stepien got married earlier this week, and was determined to have her father represented at her wedding.

After a long investigation, the bride located his heart transplant recipient, New Jersey man Arthur Thompson.

She wrote a letter to Mr Thompson asking him to walk her down the aisle.

He accepted the invitation and travelled to Pittsburgh to give Ms Stepien away.

It was the first time the Stepien family and Mr Thompson had met.

“It was just like having my father there,” Ms Stepien told CBS.  

She said the kind-hearted gesture proved “organ donors do matter”.