Firefighter, Heart-transplant recipient honors organ donors at Bellevue celebration event

SEATTLE — Gig Harbor firefighter Reece Chambers was the keynote speaker at an event held by LifeCenter On Sunday that honored Washington’s eye, organ, and tissue donors.

Chambers lives in Gig Harbor is the first firefighter in Washington to go back to work after getting a life-saving heart transplant.

In 2007, Chambers suffered heart failure, 10 years before being hospitalized and put on a heart-transplant waiting list. In 2017, he got a call after a donor had passed away from respiratory failure. After the transplant, Chambers not only returned to the line of duty and continued saving lives, but he was also allowed to be a dad.

“I remember laying in the hospital bed and wanting to get better not because I wanted to go on a huge adventure or make up for lost time, but because I wanted to be a dad and watch my kids grow,” Reece shared. “I wanted to see them go to homecoming dances, meet their friends, take them camping, watch them get taller than me. Cook them dinner and pack their lunches. The everyday stuff.”

Chamber’s heart donor was 42-year-old Kevin Irby who was also a father. Kevin’s sister said that he would be pleased to know that his heart saved the life of another father who can continue to save other lives.

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