Tiara M. Ellis/ Dallas Morning News

Because of Jeff Ballew's death nearly two years ago, Jennifer Chen is alive today.

Mr. Ballew, 21, had been in a motorcycle accident. Although doctors at Baylor Medical Center initially said the Oak Cliff man would survive, they later determined he was brain-dead.

Across town at Children's Medical Center, cancer continued to destroy Jennifer's liver. The Plano girl, who was 9 at the time, had already undergone five major surgeries, all of which were unsuccessful. She needed a liver replacement quickly.

Mr. Ballew's mother, Patricia Ortiz, made the decision to donate her son's organs. And because of that, Jennifer now lives a fairly normal life.

Jennifer and her parents met Mr. Ballew's family for the first time Saturday at the 13th Annual Southwest Transplant Alliance event honoring organ donors, their families and the donor recipients at Dallas' Fair Park.

When the Ortiz family arrived, they unknowingly sat just rows behind the Chens. But it wasn't until Ms. Ortiz walked to the podium to tell her son's story that the Plano family realized who she was.

Robert Chen, Jennifer's father, said: "Nothing can express the kind of gratitude I feel. This is just like seeing a family member we haven't met yet."

Mr. Chen and his wife, Susan, moved to Texas from Taiwan. They had Jennifer a few years later and said the unexpected trips to the doctor and hospital for nearly five years were hard on his daughter. But today she takes one pill twice a day and goes to the doctor only for planned visits.

"'Thank you' is not quite enough," Mr. Chen said. "But what do you say?"

About 20,000 people receive transplants each year in the United States. An average of 17 people die each day on the waiting list, said Pam Silvestri of Southwest Transplant Alliance, which handles organ donations in half of Texas, including Dallas.

Throughout Saturday's ceremony, Ms. Ortiz was accompanied by her two oldest sons: Chris Galvan wearing a shirt with "In Loving Memory of Jeff Ballew" on the back, and Kenneth Galvan with a "Jeff" tattoo on his neck.

The differences between Jeff and the young, quiet girl held Ms. Ortiz's attention at the reception, Ms. Ortiz said.

Jennifer regularly hugged her father and turned her head into his chest when she didn't want to talk. The shy 11-year-old said she spends her spare time reading fiction or going to movies.

Jeff wouldn't have shied away from any conversation. He would add his point of view , and would have enjoyed showing off his motorcycle, Ms. Ortiz said.

His death left behind a fiancee and son. So Jeff's 3-year-old son, Aidan, will not forget his father, the family plays a videotape at each of his birthdays, of Jeff singing "Happy Birthday" to him when he turned 1.

Deanna Kobs, Jeff's fiancee, said Aidan looks like his father and helps balance the family's loss. Seeing the people who benefited from Jeff's organs softens his death even more, she said.

Jeff's two kidneys and heart went to three people, who also attended Saturday's reception.

Ms. Ortiz said she looks for signs of Jeff in the people who live because of his death. Those four people and her grandchild offer glimpses of a life cut tragically short, she said.

"They all have their own personalities, but I know somewhere in there they've got to have a little bit of Jeff, too," Ms. Ortiz said.

The only one whom she hasn't seen too much of Jeff in is Jennifer, but that's only a matter of time. She said, "That little girl is so shy.

Eventually Jeff is going to bring her out."