From the heart, a bond forms

When Terry Gould watches his children cross the finish line of Saturday's Life Time Fitness Triathlon, Chase Coleman's heart will be beating with pride.

Six years ago, Coleman, a 20-year-old former high school basketball player, was killed in a car crash in Michigan. At that same time, Gould, a 50-year-old father of four was hooked up to machines and struggling for life. That night, Coleman's heart was transplanted into Gould -- linking two families to a memory that is both painful and poignant.

A year after that fateful day, the Goulds of Plymouth, Mich., and the Colemans of Millington, Mich., met at a restaurant in Flint. It had taken a year for the groups to meet and there was tension in the room.

But the silence was broken and a bond was formed when Nancy Coleman, Chase's mom, walked over to Gould. She hugged him, put her left hand on his chest and leaned over. She pressed her right ear close and listened ... her son's heart was beating strong.

The two families have built a bond since that meeting. Saturday, they will add another chapter. Three of Gould's children -- Kaelah Lesnau, Alissa Gould and Brian Gould -- will participate in the Life Time Fitness Triathlon at Lake Nokomis alongside three of Chase's brothers: Lon, Brandon and Trevor.

It was the Coleman brothers who decided last year to create the "Tri for Life" team. Their goal is to complete one triathlon in every state. Saturday, the families will host a tent to tell others about their story while providing a place for people to sign up to become organ donors.

"My brother is living on through Terry, and that's why we're doing these triathlons," Lon Coleman said. "They [the Goulds] are showing the utmost support. It's another way to stay connected."

"We couldn't have picked a better person," Lon said. "I saw the way Terry was holding my mother, and I knew this was the right guy. I look to him as a friend and as a mentor."

At that first meeting, the Goulds learned about Chase. He was a witty jokester, he was smart, he loved rebuilding bicycles, he played varsity basketball, he loved his family, and he frequently helped neighbors with yard work. He was living life with joy.

"I'm the lucky one," Gould said. "It's been a ride that has been just tremendous. We're basically one family."

The two families have spent birthdays, weddings and a Thanksgiving together. They remain close. Still, Lesnau remembers how bad things were for her father. For seven months, Gould was hooked up to a machine that pumped blood through his body, a family member at his side every minute of the day.

"It was really difficult seeing him sick all of the time," Lesnau said. "Just going to the hospital, you try to be strong, but things were doubtful."

Things are lot different now. Gould said he can't wait to watch his family cross the finish line with the Coleman brothers. Sure, this triathlon is pretty much secondary for the two families. Everything that happens before and after the race is more important because Chase Coleman means everything to them.

"I think with our families together," Lesnau said, "... we are living proof for other people to sign up [to be organ donors]."

Lon Coleman will be ready to hug Gould after crossing the finish line. He expects it to be another emotional embrace -- hoping to get the same feeling his mother felt at the restaurant.