Gordan Veldman , 67 , and Fred Nelis , 60 , are friends of over 10 years . Veldman suffered a genetic disorder that reduced his lung capacity to 15 percent and would have surely killed him . Nelis was diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy 20 years ago . Both received a call on June 18 , 2014 , that a donor had been found . They underwent transplants on the same day at Spectrum Health in Michigan , Grand Rapids . Both have rebounded and put their heart and lungs together each meeting .
Gordan Veldman , 67 , and Fred Nelis , 60 , are friends of over 10 years . Veldman suffered a genetic disorder that reduced his lung capacity to 15 percent and would have surely killed him . Nelis was diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy 20 years ago . Both received a call on June 18 , 2014 , that a donor had been found . They underwent transplants on the same day at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids , Michigan . Both have rebounded and put their heart and lungs together each meeting .