A bond between two longtime family friends has deepened after both Michigan men received organs from the same donor . Fred Nelis , 60 , of Holland , got a new heart , while 67-year-old Gordon Veldman of Pentwater , got a new pair of lungs . The operations were held at the exact same time at a Grand Rapids hospital last June . Nelis and Veldman have been close friends for over a decade , however their transplants were completely coincidental . Incredible bond : Gordon Veldman and Fred Nelis have been friends for over a decade , but now consider themselves 'organ brothers ' after each received a transplant from the same donor last June , saving their lives . Lifesaving operation : Fred Nelis , 60 , underwent a heart transplant after living with idiopathic cardiomyopathy for the last 20 years . On-the-mend : Gordon Veldman , 67 , received a lung transplant to escape a genetic disease that reduced his lung capacity to 15 percent last year . The medical director of the heart and lung transplant program at Spectrum Health says it was the program 's first simultaneous friend-transplant that he 's aware of . 'It 's pretty wild , ' Dr. Michael Dickinson told The Grand Rapids Press . 'We thought it was quite a remarkable story when it happened . 'It 's nice for us because it kind of shows the growth of the program - that we were able to help both of these two friends right here in West Michigan . ' Both men suffered from chronic conditions that caused their health to rapidly deteriorate before their transplants . Nelis has been suffering for 20 years with idiopathic cardiomyopathy - a progressive heart disease with an unknown cause . Then in 2013 he developed atrial fibrillation , an irregular heartbeat , and was placed on the heart transplant in March 2014 . 'Organ brothers ' : Godron Veldman ( left ) and Fred Nelis ( right ) say they now put their heart and lungs together each time they see each other to show how thankful they are for their transplants . Veldman has a genetic disease called Alpha-1 , which would potentially destroy his lungs , and caused him to develop emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . One year ago his lung capacity fell to 15 percent , making everyday talks like walking incredibly difficult . 'The end was very near , ' he said . ' I probably had two months left . ' Then on June 18 , 2014 , both men received a call - the wait was over . They were both admitted to Spectrum Health and underwent transplants , with Nelis getting a new heart and Veldman new lungs . New lease on life : Fred Nelis was a competitive swimmer for 40 years , before developing heart issues . Both have rebounded since the operations . The men known little about their 32-year-old donor , however were able to send a letter to the man 's family through Gift of Life Michigan . Veldman said that he and Nelis put their new heart and lungs as close as they can every time they meet . 'We got a gift , and it 's best that we treat it as such , ' Nelis said . Grateful : Gordon Veldman ( left ) and Fred Nelis ( right ) say a single organ donor saved them both . To see more photos of Veldman and Nelis , visit www.glasslakesphotography.com .
Gordan Veldman , 67 , and Fred Nelis , 60 , are friends of over 10 years . They have been together for more than 20 years now.