Is 2 Hearts Based On A True Story?
Rachel Hickman 2 Hearts is now on Netflix. It tells the story of two men whose lives connect in an unexpected & tragic way. Here's the true story behind the movie.
Warning: SPOILERS for 2 Hearts below.
Is the movie 2 Hearts based on a true story? Directed by Lance Hool, the romantic drama was savaged by critics upon its release in theaters in October 2020. Recently, however, it made its Netflix streaming debut, and viewers have put it in the Top 10 most-watched titles on Netflix. The movie follows the stories of two different couples in two different times: First is Chris (The Kissing Booth's Jacob Elordi), an underachieving college student, and Sam (Tiera Skyovbye), whose presence in Chris's life finally ignites his missing motivation. And then there's Jorge (Adan Canto), the heir to a rum dynasty, who falls in love with flight attendant Leslie (Radha Mitchell), even though he has a medical condition that will surely shorten his life.
At first, their lives seem completely unconnected, with them experiencing different stories in different decades. But then tragedy befalls both couples, with Jorge getting worse and both Chris collapsing and being rushed to the hospital. Chris seemingly survives his aneurysm and goes on to marry Sam, become a firefighter, and have a son together. However, it's revealed that was all a dream, as, in reality, Chris actually dies. But his death is the gift of life for Jorge, who receives Chris's lungs, which saves his life. The tearjerking story is an adaptation of the book All My Tomorrows by Eric Gregory, but the real question is whether or not the book itself is based on a true story.
Turns out, the answer is yes. Eric Gregory is actually the father of Christopher Gregory, who really did exist and tragically die of a brain aneurysm at the age of 19. Eric penned the memoir after his son's unexpected death as a way of coping and celebrating his son's life. Chris has been attending Loyola University in New Orleans as a freshman when he suddenly collapsed while at a friend's house one day. After he was rushed to Tulane University Medical Center, the doctors discovered he'd collapsed from an undetected, ruptured brain aneurysm. Chris's entire family was by his side, including his parents and both his older brothers, but, tragically, he died just a few days later. (via Moms)
The story didn't end there, however. Chris had registered to be an organ donor when he was just 16, and when he died, his organs were gifted to five people in desperate need. One of those people was Jorge Bacardi, the scion of the legendary rum dynasty. Jorge had been born with a lung disease that, at the time, doctors misdiagnosed as cystic fibrosis. It was a miracle that he survived, but as he grew older, it got harder and harder to breathe. It wasn't until he was in his 50s that doctors determined he didn't have cystic fibrosis at all, but a rare genetic condition called primary ciliary dyskinesia. His only hope of survival was a double lung transplant. The call that they'd found a match came in March 2008, and within hours, 64-year-old Jorge was rushed into surgery. (via Gabriel House)
Organ transplant recipients are never given the names of their donors as a rule. But Jorge wrote a letter to his anonymous donor, who he had named "Gabriel" after the angel, through the United Network for Organ Sharing. In 2009, the Bacardis finally learned the identity of the teenager who had given Jorge the gift of life. Jorge quickly arranged a meeting with Eric and Grace Gregory, and they told Jorge all about their son, who had saved Jorge's life without even knowing it.
In 2011, to show his profound gratitude for Chris and to honor his memory, Jorge Bacardi and his wife, Leslie, used a portion of their vast wealth to fund the creation of the Gabriel House of Care at the Jacksonville location of the Mayo Clinic. Named after the angel that Jorge believed Chris to be, the Gabriel House provides oncology and transplant patients and their families long-term housing while at the clinic. Thanks to the gift of Chris's lungs, Jorge lived another 12 years, passing away in September 2020 at the age of 76. Luckily, 2 Hearts does their story justice.
