I would go to family functions and I would be more laying down in bed versus interacting with my family," Nieves, 62, told "Good Morning America" of her life before her organ transplants.
With the help of her team of Montefiore doctors and surgeons, Nieves was matched with an HIV-positive donor, Newton, who was only 30 when she died.
Although doctors have performed HIV-positive to HIV-positive organ transplants in the past, this is the world's first instance of an HIV-positive to HIV-positive heart transplant according to Montefiore Health System.Newton's sister Breanne Newton said meeting the woman who now has a second chance at life with her late sister's heart and kidney was "truly a blessing."."It's a blessing to know that my sister's heart is going to be taken care of by her because she's so sweet," Breanne Newton told "GMA." "She kind of reminds me a little bit about my sister because she said that she likes to just get out and go and do things and that's how Brittany was.Both Breanne Newton and Nieves say they now consider each other family.