Family attends funeral of organ donor who saved woman's life

The family of a man whose life was saved by an organ donation attended the funeral of the organ donor, who they say will forever be part of their family.

Ivonne Martinez Rivera's death represented a new hope for 35-year-old Eli Guzman, from New Jersey, who received Rivera's kidney and liver last week.

"I consider her my hero," his brother said at the funeral.

"Forever you will be my family," Guzman said, of the woman he never got to meet.

His brother Eli, still recovering in hospital, now has a second shot at life.

"God has shown us a way of bringing two families together in love and kindness. We thank the Rivera family for the decisions they've made," he added.

The family attended the funeral to pay their respects.

Ivonne's husband told the media he would also like to meet the person who received his wife's heart as he wants their children to know it still beats somewhere out there.

"So I can at least put the baby on her heartbeat, the baby can hear her mother's heartbeat through somebody else," Andy Rivera told Eyewitness News.

The 41-year-old was a mother of three children and nurse to the elderly.