STANFORD, Calif-- OK, so it’s not quite the reunion of the Eagles or the Police. But it’s more miraculous.
 
Get ready for the world premiere of an all-new, all-drums group called “The Heartbeats,” creators of a sound that’s way cooler than anything you’ll find on your iPod. The members? Kids with transplants, each banging out a rhythm of thanks for the ultimate gift of life. Unrehearsed and perhaps a bit rough around the edges, this first-ever, 7pm performance Wednesday will be one of the many emotional highlights of the annual Heart, Heart-Lung, and Lung Transplant Patient Reunion at Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
 
Membership in “The Heartbeats” is not based on actual musical talent, but 4-year-old Benjamin Thornton of Cloverdale, CA, owns a real set of drums, so perhaps he’ll play lead. Ben will be reunited with two other heart transplant recipients, each of whom received a new heart along with Ben during a record-setting “3 hearts in 36 hours” last summer at Packard Children’s. This means 7-year-old Sierra Bingham of Haines, OR, 3-year-old Peter Hanson of Menlo Park, CA, and Ben will all be making their first public appearance together. Keeping the drums and bongos in time? It’s a challenge being taken on by 37-year-old Geoffrey Thomas, a drum teacher at the Antioch (CA) Music Academy. Guess what? Geoffrey had a heart transplant, too.
 
This is a tough act to follow, but Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, 35, of Redwood City, CA, has no fear. She’ll be joining another hospital band, the New Life Ensemble, to play the bagpipes, an instrument she is uniquely qualified to play. That’s because she and her twin sister Anabel have both received double-lung transplants for cystic fibrosis. Maybe 3-year-old Katalina Thang of Morgan Hill, CA, who has a new heart and lungs, will grab a shaker and join in. Of course, these things are unpredictable and free-flowing. Everyone could start playing or singing something at any time. That’s why we’re calling this the “Lollapalooza of transplant reunions,” minus the mosh pit. 
 
Hundreds of patients and families attending the reunion will have remarkable stories to tell, even those working the gig, like caterer Michael Miraglia, recipient of a new heart in 2002. “Meeting others who have gone through transplant means more than you can imagine, especially to the families of those who wait,” said Mary Burge, LCSW, transplant social worker, who is being saluted this evening for 25 years of service to adult and pediatric patients. “It’s also an evening of hope.” No one is more hopeful than the family of 8-year-old Shawn Stockwell of Eagle Ridge, AK. They’ve been waiting over a year for Shawn’s new heart.
 
“It’s not just a reunion and celebration,” said David Rosenthal, MD, one of the many doctors and caregivers who will reunite with their patients. “It’s also a night to honor and bring awareness to the decision of those who, in the midst of their tremendous grief, made a decision to donate life. It’s the ultimate gift, and these families are very, very thankful.”
 
Media Event is Wed., 5/2/07, 5p-8p, Fairchild Auditorium, 291 Campus Dr., Stanford, CA. Directions at http://www.lpch.org/pdf/fairchildDirections.pdf. (Heart transplant surgery footage available for broadcast media).