Man’s Failing Heart Is Replaced With Grandson’s, a Traffic Victim

A 63-year-old man was conscious and reported doing well Thursday after receiving the heart of his 16-year-old grandson, who died with three other teen-agers after a car-train accident.

Thomas A. Nielson was in critical but stable condition after the Wednesday operation, during which his own failing heart was replaced with that of Jonathan Simper, LDS Hospital spokeswoman Kathy Fraughton said.

Nielson began having heart pains when he heard of his grandson’s death and was taken to the hospital, according to his wife, Donna. She said he had been placed on a heart transplant list a few weeks ago after physicians determined his condition was inoperable.

Jonathan died of head and internal injuries sustained when the car in which he was riding collided with a train on a dirt road Tuesday night near Brigham City. He died later at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden.

Jonathan reportedly had worked for his grandfather last summer at Nielson’s masonry construction business.

Donna Nielson said her husband and grandson were the same height and about the same weight.