Linda Stewart Ball/ Dallas Morning News

When Rachel and Richard Averett are out with their three boys, strangers often smile and say: "Oh, you need a little girl."

They're not being cruel. They just don't know.

A year ago Saturday, the Averetts' only daughter, Hallie, died after having the stomach flu. She was 10 months old.

Some say the Lord works in mysterious ways. The Averetts, who are people of faith, might believe that more strongly than most.

Last year, their daughter provided a gift to another family: her heart. The families, who live hundreds of miles apart, did not realize at the time that they were connected in more ways than one.

Hallie has a twin brother named Micah. The night she died, Micah was also ill, and he could not be consoled.

Once he returned to health, Micah would crawl through his Plano home looking for his sister.

"That hurt almost as much as losing her," said Mr. Averett, 29, a software architect. "Even though they were fraternal, they were always connected."

Hallie and Micah were born Feb. 3, 2003. Hallie was bigger, stronger and spunkier. Whenever Micah would get a bottle, Hallie would put hers down, crawl over to her brother, grab his bottle and drink it, too.

He'd cry. Then Hallie, who had curly brownish-blond hair, would kiss him on his bald head, and all was forgiven.

"There was just something special about Hallie," Mr. Averett said.

Hallie was always in charge, his wife said proudly.

"That's why I think she kept herself alive for so long. She was a very determined little girl," said Ms. Averett, 30, a homemaker.

Hallie's heart

The stomach virus made its way through the Averett family last December.

Everyone was sick except for Ms. Averett. On Dec. 16, she went to get medicine while her husband watched the kids. Hallie was napping. When Ms. Averett returned and checked on their daughter, she found her in her crib making a strange noise; laboring to breathe. Hallie was gray. Her eyes rolled back.

Ms. Averett called an ambulance. Doctors worked to save Hallie, but 36 hours later, the Averetts' baby girl was gone.

Donating an organ was the last thing on their minds. But when they were asked to consider it, they agreed.

"At first it was a matter of, we wanted to do it to help another family,"

Mr. Averett said. "This could help someone else not have to go through this.

"Then it became a solace to us to know that a part of her lived on. That her passing wasn't completely in vain."

Last Dec. 19th, Hallie's heart was transplanted into a baby boy who lives in Kentucky. Months later the Averetts learned his name: Micah.

They were stunned. What were the odds of that happening?

Ms. Averett looked the name up on the Social Security Web site and said she found only 660 boys named Micah in 2003.

"That's not an accident," she said. "It's very unusual."

Both families are strong Christians. The Averetts are United Church of God members while the Wagers are Independent Baptists. They chose the name Micah from the Bible.

Micah's moment
Micah Gabriel Wagers is a happy and loving toddler, with blond hair and grayish-blue eyes. He's content playing baby dolls with his sister or Batman with his brothers.

But it's a wonder that Micah – the youngest of Malachi and Lara Wagers' five children – is here at all.

He was born with a heart defect on Sept. 21, 2002. Multiple surgeries failed to repair his condition. In October 2003, doctors told the Wagerses their son would die without a new heart.

"He was a year old and could hardly sit up," said Mr. Wagers, 30, a maintenance and repairman. "We didn't know how sick he was until after he got the new heart, and we were like 'Whoa, this is the baby he should have been.' "

Although he's small for his age, his parents say Micah is active and racing to catch up. He can walk now and knows a handful of words.

"He is full of life," Ms. Wagers said. "A totally different kid than what he was before."

The greatest gift
About three months after Hallie died, the Averetts, who received contact information from the Southwest Transplant Alliance, wrote to the Wagerses.

"When we got the first letter from them telling us about the name, telling us about their Micah, we had chills down our spines for days," Mr. Wagers said. "I think the Lord has got something definitely in store for that."

Ms. Wagers, 29, said it took her a while to write back to the Averetts. She wasn't sure what to say.

"It's the greatest gift," Ms. Wagers said of Hallie's heart. "I really can't even put it into words how unselfish and what a great thing that they could do that."

Although they haven't yet met, the Wagers and Aevetts say they hope to some day.

Saturday morning the Averetts marked the one-year anniversary of Hallie's death by placing flowers on her grave.

On Sunday in Verona, Ky., the Wagers celebrated Micah's life. They marked the first anniversary of his heart transplant with a party in their home.

"He's doing excellent," Mr. Wagers said. "But I hate to even say it because I'm scared."

The Averetts understand the fear. Losing Hallie has changed them all.

"It just makes you realize how fragile life is," Ms. Averett said.

"We're trying to keep living," she said. "That's what Hallie would want us to do."