Lauren Miezo has spent the better part of three months at Brigham and Women's Hospital waiting for a kidney transplant and her second heart transplant, and though it's been a long, difficult road, earlier this month, Lauren decided exactly how she wanted to receive the good news when it finally comes.
She wanted Rob Gronkowski to tell her.
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In a video on her Facebook page that quickly went viral, Lauren said she wanted Gronk to be the person who delivered the news about her transplant, and if he were lucky, Lauren would let him have a meet and greet with her.
"I never would have guessed that it would have went viral, that it would have went national or that he would have ever even seen it," Lauren said.
And while she is still waiting for that good news, it didn't stop Gronk from surprising her anyway.
On April 2, Gronk walked into Lauren's hospital room with the "biggest, widest smile on his face." Along with his brother Gordie, Gronk made Lauren's dream come true.
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"He gave me a big hug, and within the first couple of minutes my nerves were gone. He was just so down to Earth, so chill and so funny. It was like hanging out with a buddy," Lauren said. "That's the easiest way to describe it. I can't believe I was as nervous as I was."
So much time in the hospital can wear on you -- physically, emotionally and financially. With support of her friends and family, Lauren has kept positive a attitude throughout, and the visit from Gronk only helped make her day brighter.
"My mom joked this will help us get through another 80 days in here," she said.
Gronk even picked up and read from her mother's book, "Strength of a Heartbeat," about Lauren's first transplant experience. Gronk and Lauren shared some laughs, a dance and, of course, took the essential selfie.
""Is this what the doctor ordered?" Gronk said. "The doctor ordered some selfies."
The story was picked up nationally, and while of course Lauren was happy to meet Gronk, she was also thrilled this experience helped shine a light on a worthy cause, especially as April is National Donate Life Month.
Lauren said she looks up to Gronk both on and off the field, and his legendary upbeat attitude is a perfect complement to her own. She said she's constantly cracking jokes and having a good time, despite the challenges she has faced over the years.
"I can either be positive. I can be upbeat. I can smile. I can laugh. I can joke or I can be miserable," Lauren said. "I can cry. I can say, 'Why me?' At the end of the day, I'm still going to need these organs so why not enjoy the time I have now?"
