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Walk held for Sharon woman, heart donor

SHARON, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) – Over one hundred people gathered in Sharon Sunday to honor two women who were connected by one heart.

Marisa Auerbach lived a healthy life for a decade after a heart transplant, but died in October after getting transplant related blood leukemia.

Family and friends of Auerbach and Cynthia Lucero, the woman who donated her heart to Auerbach, established the walk in the women's honor.

Lucero was running the Boston Marathon in 2002 with her friend Matt Cox when she collapsed and died of extreme over-hydration.

Auerbach was 11-years-old at the time and received Lucero's heart through a transplant.

As luck would have it, Auerbach is also the niece of Cox's family friend, so he took comfort in knowing Lucero's heart was beating inside of Auerbach.

Auerbach and Lucero's families met and did their own walk every year, and Sunday's walk came about in part because of that.

"Cynthia's parents would go over to Marisa and would want to just hug her and feel their daughter's heart beating inside of Marisa, and so we're here for both of them and to remember them today," Cox said.

Cox, whose father passed away from the same blood-related leukemia Auerbach had, is a major fundraiser for the cause. He raised $50,000 in Auerbach and Lucero's honor.

Since Auerbach's passing, a scholarship has been established at her high school in her honor. Her friends and family want to continue honoring the women with a walk or possibly some other event every year.