Spread the word about Donate Life's 2012 campaign - Click below to register

Sunday, March 18, 2012

A Signature For Life

What Will You Lose If You Don't Sign Your Donor Card?

In response to Dick Teresi's article published recently in the Wall Street Journal. Stories taken from:




The chance for a Father to see his Daughter.

I was an Army medic at the age of 18 and I married my beautiful wife at the age of 20. Later that year there was a chemical explosion in a laboratory where I was working, and the building literally blew up around me.

The accident caused me to lose my sight. Twenty-four
days later my first daughter was born. Doctors told me I would never get to see her.

For the next thirty years I lived with my wife and daughters as a blind person. Things were difficult, if not impossible.

I felt as if my daughters spent their entire childhood leading me around our farm. All I wished for during those years was to see my family before I died.

In 1999, a miraculous corneal transplant restored my sight. For the first time in my life I was looking at my children. My lovely wife was now a fifty-three year old grandmother. I couldn't say a word; all I could do was hold them and weep.

I was given a whole new life through transplantation, a new life that affects my entire family. There are not words in any language to thank the people who helped me.

The chance for a girl and her brother to play like other children.

Sister and brother, Roma and Lucas Ugarte, couldn't be more opposite. She's dark, he's fair. She likes to read and dance; he likes run, bike and skateboard.

"She's very quiet and laid back," their mom Julie said. "And he'll talk your ear off!"

But they do have one thing in common, Roma, 11, and Lucas, 6, have each had a kidney transplant. Roma's new kidney came from their father, Eduardo; Lucas received his from their uncle John. Kidney disease was discovered in Roma when she was almost five, and in Lucas at
just 18 months. But, today, because of their transplants, the siblings are normal, active children. They are enjoying their childhood along with their middle brother, Marcos, 7, who shows no signs of the disease.

The chance for a young woman to breathe easy.

After Bobbie Wilson underwent a successful double-lung transplant, she would still try to adjust an oxygen tube or check for the tank that had been trailing her for more than a year.

"It was amazing to be able to breathe without exhaustion," she says. "It still is."

Although diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was an infant, Bobbie felt healthy until her mid-20s. "I did sports and all the normal stuff," she says. "I didn't grow up feeling sick."

But then Bobbie's health began to deteriorate. She became easily winded. She got lung infections. She was hospitalized more often. By age 30, she was relying on supplemental oxygen, and her disease began to take its toll.

"I had to quit working," she says. "I didn't go out much. I once left a wedding reception because I'd run out of oxygen and couldn't breathe."

Bobbie's doctors recommended that she get her nam
e on a transplant list. And, because she was a Walmart employee and 100 percent of her transplant and related expenses were covered at Mayo Clinic, Bobbie soon turned to specialists in Rochester, Minn., for help.

At Mayo Clinic, doctors performed an eight-hour double-lung transplant. And the results of that surgery still surprise her. "When I did my lung capacity tests for the first time, I cried because it was so effortless," she says.

After 11 days in the hospital, Bobbie's health care team coordinated her recovery in Rochester for the next three months and then continued to provide support as she went home to her family.

Bobbie is now back to work and actively enjoying life again. And she's grateful for the care and the generous gift that saved her life. Without them, "I probably wouldn't be here," she says. "Being sick has taught me a lot about being appreciative."

The chance for an athlete to ride again.

As a marathon runner and long-distance cyclist, Dan Olson thought his athletic lifestyle ensured a healthy body. But in 2002, at age 38, Dan was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a condition that weakens and enlarges the heart muscle.

"I couldn't believe it," he says. "I kept thinking, 'I'm in good shape. It can't really be that bad.' "

In fact, his condition was so serious that Dan was airlifted from a Wisconsin hospital to Mayo Clinic, where his doctors told him that his heart had been damaged beyond repair. Dan would need a heart transplant.

Once he was stabilized, Dan's name was added to the transplant list. Just two weeks later, he received the call. A 15-year-old girl had died in a car accident. And in the midst of their tragedy, the family made the generous decision to donate their daughter's organs. In doing so, they saved Dan's life.

"I think of my donor every day," says Dan. "And I want to show her family all that their gift has allowed me to do."

For Dan, that meant getting well and resuming an active life. It meant running marathons again and biking across the country. It meant restoring an old farmhouse and returning to his long-held job in a local factory. But it also meant honoring his donor and her family by talking about organ donation.

"I want people to know that you can live your normal life after transplant," he says. "I hope that by doing the things I do, I can give hope to people waiting for transplants, and also encourage people to consider organ donation. It's hard to think about being in a position to donate your organs or your loved one's organs. But if you're ever in that position, it's nice to know that something good can come out of it.

The chance for a little girl to grow up.

Macie, an exhuberant and inquisitive child of two years of age, keeps her parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents busy. However, the family doesn’t mind, because at four months old Macie was just struggling to stay alive. After what seemed a normal pregnancy, Macie was born prematurely and with a severe case of cardiomyopathy (an inflammation of the heart that interferes with its ability to pump blood). Although she was allowed to go home after her birth, she continued to have significant medical problems and went into cardiac arrest twice. It was just after her second cardiac arrest that Macie, while in the ICU, had a donor heart become available.

Macie received a heart transplant at just four months old and came through the operation well enough to return home quickly. The family saw an immediate change in Macie, both in her eating abilities and her new energy. Although she will always take anti-rejection medications, she will be able to do all the things other children do, including sports. “Macie is catching up from all the time she was in the hospital and is developing very well” says her mom, Michelle. “I can’t stress enough the importance of organ and tissue donation. I’d ask people to give organ donation a chance. It saved Macie’s life.”

Brain Death and Organ Donation - Some Basic Facts:

Brain death is the cessation of all brain activity. Brain death is not a coma, even patients in a deep coma will still show some brain activity. Brain death appears dark on scans, there is no brain activity to light up the screen, there is no life present.


In the United States, principles of making a diagnosis of brain death are guided by the Uniform Determination of Death Act. To read the act in full, go here:


A summary of the act can also be found here:


There is no need for a Neurologist to lie. In the US, as in most countries, the declaration of brain death is made independent of organ donation. Neither the organ procurement team, nor any of the medical personnel who may assist with the recovery of organs, are involved in determining brain death.

As recently as 2010 the criteria for determing brain death was revised and updated, to reflect advances in medicine. This isn't an antiquated procedure stuck back in 1968, as has been claimed.

The criteria for determining brain death is stringent, and may involve not only Neurosurgeons or Neuroligists, but members of the Respiratory Therapy team as well. The clinical examination to determine brain death may include physical tests to check for the absence of brain death reflexes, apnea tests to check for spontaneous respiration or respiratory efforts, and an in-depth and highly sensitive electroencephalograph to record the absence of brain activity. Other rests that may be performed include Conventional angiography: Contrast injected under pressure into the aortic arch, and Nuclear flow study: scintigraphy using Technetium 99m hexamethyl propylene amine oxime.

To read the Massachusets General's criteria for determination of brain death, follow this link:


(image courtesy of http://health.peculiaris.net)

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Taylor Storch Memorial Donor Registration Drive


Taylor's Story


Taylor lived her life with joy, and brought joy to all who knew her. The world lost a vibrant and gifted young person on March 15, 2010, when a tragic skiing accident changed everything for the Storch family, then vacationing in Colorado.

After Taylor’s parents were told that Taylor would not survive, they made a choice—a prayerful choice they knew their daughter would want. They agreed to let Taylor’s final gift be the gift of life through organ donation. Although their grief is immeasurable, the Storch family has been transformed by the hope and happiness that have been restored to other families whose loved ones have been saved by Taylor’s organs.
Taylor’s organs went to a number of different people in need: her heart to a 39-year-old mother of two in Arizona; her pancreas and one kidney to a 49-year-old husband and father in Colorado; her other kidney to a 33-year-old husband in Colorado; her corneas and liver changed two other lives in other parts of the country.

Taylor’s Gift Foundation was created to honor Taylor’s many talents and gifts, and especially her ultimate gift: life for others. Although her life ended too soon, her spirit lives on. As a tribute to Taylor, Taylor’s Gift strives to increase organ donation through the enlightenment and education of our youth. Taylor’s life and her recent passing have already inspired thousands of people from around the world to become organ donors themselves. Taylor’s gift is now the gift of life to many who will need it in the future.


Taylor Storch Memorial Donor Registration Drive

In honour of Taylor's memory, and the legacy she has left behind through the work of her parents, Todd and Tara Storch, the Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life will be holding the first annual Taylor Storch Memorial Donor Registration Drive, inspired by the Taylor's Gift motto of regifting life, renewing hope, and restoring families.

If you're in the US, it's easy to participate. Just follow these two simple steps.

1) Visit http://www.taylorsgift.org/ and click on 'Become A Donor' to place your name on the Organ Donor Registry in your state.

2) Share the Taylor's Gift story with friends and family by using the autofill email in this link (just follow the instructions)


People wishing to participate in other countries, check the link provided below for a world wide list of online donor registration sites. Share the information with your friends and family.



Tuesday, March 13, 2012

What's Happening with Taylor's Gift Foundation - Newsletter


Taylor's Gift Foundation
At A Glance
Take the Taylor's Gift Challenge
* See us on TV, radio & online



What does Taylor's Gift do?
Thanks for asking! There is so much beyond organ donor registrations.
Our mission is to Regift Life, Renew Heath and Restore Families. These three pillars work together supporting the different areas of organ donation. Regift Life: what most know as organ donor registration. Renew Health: educating the public about the need for organ donation;  This will also be a resource for all those affected by organ donation. Restore Families:  houses programs such as Taylor’s Garden, Be A Hero Scholarships, grief camps, and other support systems for families.
Currently, most of the programs under Regift Life and Renew Health are in development, and we ask for your financial support to help move them into reality.  Taylor's Gift aspires to be there when families need us, when someone is put on a transplant list, or when a family is healing from the loss of a child. Consider making a donation todaywww.TaylorsGift.org/givenow


Partner Companies
And there are easy ways to help us raise some money when you shop click here to learn how Give Back America, Kroger, Tom Thumb and H&R Block are giving back to Taylor’s Gift Foundation with your help. In addition, a number of companies, from American Airlines to Microsoft are supporting Taylor's Gift through Corporate Matching. Check out this link for more information on all these ways to easily support Taylor's Gift: http://bit.ly/TGFPartners
What's Happening!
Wow! So many amazing things happening at Taylor's Gift Foundation. We are keeping so busy - and thank you to those who are working hard with us! We would like to share with you a number of things that are happening at Taylor's Gift Foundation.
Get out your calendar, there’s lots to do!
Checkout the details at: www.TaylorsGift.org/events
  • >>THIS FRIDAY, 3/16>>: Taylor’s Gift Night with the Dallas Stars
    Discounted tickets, too! Use "dallas" as the special code!
  • April 27th:  Taylor’s Gift Ladies Doubles Tennis Tournament
    At Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, TX. 
  • May 10th: Beretta Gun Gallery’s Preview Event
    A preview party on the eve of the Taylor’s Gift Sporting Clays Tournament.
    Highland Park, TX.
  • May 11th: Taylor’s Gift Sporting Clays Tournament
    Sponsored by Beretta at the Dallas Gun Club, Lewisville, TX.
And more... Powder Puff Football Game in Coppell, TX (May 20), Taylor's Birthday at Tappy's Yogurt,Coppell, TX (April 19).
Grassroots, such as the Powder Puff Football Game help support Taylor's Gift Foundation by raising money, awareness and/or organ donor registrations on our behalf. If you are interested in having your own grassroots event, contact our events team:events@TaylorsGift.org



Progress! 

Since the end of March 2010 in Texas alone, organ donation registrations have grown nearly 200%! Thanks to your efforts, we are on our way to reaching a national goal of at least 50% of adults being registered organ donors. 
models in Be A Hero shirts
Merchandise
Have you seen the new hoodies? Be sure to deck out in the latest and greatest Taylor’s Gift attire! http://taylorsgift.wazala.com/ orwww.TaylorsGift.org and click on Store!
Be A Hero Scholarships
We are so proud of the 2010 Be A Hero Scholarship recipients. We were able to give scholarships to local Coppell students last year to help them continue to lead the life of a hero. Please help us to spread this opportunity to communities near you. Donate to the Be A Hero Scholarship Fund by noting “Scholarship” when you contribute atwww.TaylorsGift.org/givenow

Taylor's Gift and Cadillac Escalade
Thanks to all who voted for us this past fall - we won an amazing media package from Cadillac Escalade. Be on the look out for our television, radio, web and print ads in Texas this March. We are honored to have been able to work with such a great group of people with Cadillac and their agencies. Hats off to you for helping us win such a great prize package!
And a special thank you to former Dallas Cowboys Everson Walls (pictured with TGF volunteers) and Mike Renfro for their wonderful support and work during this campaign.
Copyright © 2012 Taylor's Gift Foundation, All rights reserved.
Thanks for your interest in Taylor's Gift Foundation. We send this periodic newsletters to those people who have reached out to us, those we do business with, and other friends of Taylor's Gift.
Our mailing address is:
Taylor's Gift Foundation
106 N. Denton Tap
Suite 210-167
Coppell, TX 75019

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Spreading The Word About Taylor's Gift Made Simpler




Letting your friends and family know about Taylor's Gift Foundation, and the valuable work they do helping to increase the number of registered organ donors in Texas, and the United States has never been easier.

Step 1: Click on the link provided

Step 2: Input your friends and families email addresses

Step 3: Press send

It's that simple.

CLICK HERE TO OPEN EMAIL
_________________________________________

Please Note: This has been configured to work with Windows Live Mail as part of Windows 7. If you have any problems with other mail programs, just copy/paste the following message - no need to write something yourself.

Subject Line: Register, Share, Give: The Taylors Gift Challenge!

Taylors Gift is a foundation that began in 2010 with a mission to Regift Life, Renew Health, and Restore Families. By increasing certified organ donations in Texas and the United States, Taylors Gift Foundation has become a positive force in revealing the gift each one of us has, the ability to outlive ourselves.

There are over 112,000 people waiting on an organ in the US, and each day roughly 18 people die, waiting for transplants, because of the shortage of donated organs. Even if the organ donor box on your license is checked, you still might not be in the official organ donor registry. Becoming a registered organ donor takes as little as 90 seconds.

Take the Taylors Gift Challenge and become part of the Taylors Gift Team in 3 easy steps

1 Register to be an organ donor at www.TaylorsGift.org
2 Share your decision with your friends and family. Outlive yourself by letting your family and friends know about your decision of the gift of life. If you have a Facebook or Twitter account use the hashtag #outlive yourself
3 Give to Taylor’s Gift by contributing as little as $1 - www.TaylorsGift.org/givenow

Take the challenge, join the team, and make the world a better place.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Regift Life with Taylor's Gift

Article text courtesy of Taylor's Gift President, Todd Storch, pictured
here with wife Tara and Taylor's Gift spokesperson, Alex O'Loughlin

Taylor’s Gift is a foundation that began in 2010 with a mission to Regift Life, Renew Health, and Restore Families. By increasing certified organ donations in Texas and the United States, Taylor’s Gift Foundation has become a positive force in revealing the gift each one of us has the ability to outlive ourselves. In October of 2011, Taylor’s Gift took part in Cadillac’s Team Escalade Texas and competed with five other charities throughout Texas for a media award. As a winning recipient of the contest, Taylor’s Gift was awarded a Texas media package, this publicity will make a difference and save thousands of lives and potentially affect millions. Cadillac is honored to help Taylor’s Gift’s mission throughout the month of March.

Why is this important?

Did you know it takes as little as 90 seconds to become a registered organ donor at www.TaylorsGift.org?

There are over 112,000 people waiting on an organ in the US?

Did you know each day about 18 people die waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs?

Did you know that even though you may have checked “organ donor” when you got your drivers license years ago, you may not be in the official organ donor registry?''

Why Taylor’s Gift?

On March 15, 2010, the world lost Taylor Storch - a vibrant and gifted 13 year old - following a tragic skiing accident. Taylor’s parents had to make a choice —a prayerful choice that reflected the type of life Taylor led - a giving one. Her parents, Todd and Tara, agreed to let Taylor’s final gift be the gift of life through organ donation. Although their grief is immeasurable, the Storch family has been transformed by the hope and quality of life that has been restored to the families whose loved ones were saved by Taylor’s gift. This gift allowed Taylor to outlive her life and give life to others.

Taylor’s Gift Foundation was created to honor Taylor’s many talents and gifts, and especially her ultimate gift: life for others. Although her life ended too soon, her spirit lives on not just through the five lives she saved and transformed, but the millions that register and help the mission.

Taylor’s Gift Mission

Taylor’s Gift Foundation was founded in 2010 with a mission to Regift Life, Renew Health, and Restore Families.

The core of Taylor’s Gift is that organ donation is a beautiful and special gift. The work and services of Taylor’s Gift are focused on three areas:

Regift Life: Increasing organ donor registration in the United States


Renew Health: Providing resources and knowledge for organ recipients and donors


Restore Families: Developing and delivering programs to support those touched by organ donation

The Taylor’s Gift team delivers events, speaking engagements, programs and scholarships to teach and educate audiences about organ donation and the gift each of us has within.

Since April of 2010, Taylor’s Gift Foundation has:

spoken to audiences of over 10,000 in four states,


held 60+ onsite events in eight states to help register certified organ donors,


produced award winning television public service announcement seen by hundreds of thousands across the United States,


supported Donate Life in their goal to register “20 Million in 2012”,


helped register over 1,600,000 certified organ donors in Texas,


helped register over 12,000,000 certified organ donors in the United States, and


awarded “Be a Hero” scholarships to graduating high school seniors exhibiting positive character traits that impact in their world.

· Register, Share, Give: The Taylor’s Gift Challenge!

2004 Gold Medal Olympic gymnast Carly Patterson and Taylor’s Gift Foundation invite you to take the Taylor’s Gift Challenge and become part of the the Taylor’s Gift Team in three easy steps.

Register to be an organ donor at www.TaylorsGift.org

Our goal is to register a minimum of 1,000,000 new certified organ donor registrants, in support of Donate Life’s goal of “20 Million in 2012”. Even if you are already a have your organ donor registration card, we need you to be part of the team.

Share your decision with your friends and family.

Use Facebook, email, Twitter, any other favorite social media tools. Because a decision like this - to be an organ donor, to save lives, and outlive yourself - is too big to keep to yourself. And when you are posting your decision in social media, please end your post/ tweet/etc with #outliveyourself. We want over 100,000,000 more people to know of this decision.

Give to Taylor’s Gift.

Contribute as little as $1 at www.TaylorsGift.org/givenow. Your contribution will help Taylor’s Gift fund 500 “Be A Hero” scholarships, deploy Taylor’s Place, an online resource for donors and recipients, and fund operations of the foundation.

Take the challenge, join the team. And make the world a better place. Outlive yourself by letting your family and friends know about your decision of the gift of life.

Join Cadillac and Carly Patterson help Taylor’s Gift make a difference! Register, Share, Give. Join Metroplex Cadillac Dealers and Taylor’s Gift on Facebook and Twitter. Follow and friend Taylor’s Gift at www.Facebook.com/TaylorsGift and www.Twitter.com/TaylorsGift. Use hashtag #outliveyourself to show your support of the Taylor’s Gift Challenge!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Donate Life Articles at suite101.com

Just wanted to share how some television personalities, in front of and behind the camera, are using their craft to help people change their lives by getting involved with Donate Life.  There are some amazing people in all walks of life involved in organ and tissue donation.  And, they have wonderful, courageous, and sometimes very emotional stories to tell.  I am honored to write about them.  Read some of their stories here:

http://cheryl-hollar.suite101.com/the-cbs-series-that-changed-a-generation-a403063

http://cheryl-hollar.suite101.com/television-celebrities-give-kidney-patients-hope-a402436

http://cheryl-hollar.suite101.com/hawaii-five-0-actors-fans-join-donate-life-20-million-campaign-a398838

http://cheryl-hollar.suite101.com/three-rivers-and-family-guy-lead-impact-on-organ-donation-a397380


   

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Showcasing Film Life Festival Videos for Australian Donate Life Week



FilmLife Project | Nepean ICU People's Choice Award


FilmLife is an initiative to help bring greater youth engagement and awareness to Donate Life Week, Australia’s national awareness to promote organ and tissue donation, taking place in 2012 from 19-26 February. The FilmLife Project has been funded by the Organ and Tissue Donation Authority. For more information, see http://www.donatelife.gov.au/

FilmLife is the creative brainchild of The GroundSwell Project, a not-for-profit organisation that engages people in creative arts projects in order to create healthier community attitudes about all stages of life including ageing, illness, death, dying and bereavement. For more information, see http://thegroundswellproject.com/. FilmLife is being delivered in close partnership with the Information + Cultural Exchange (ICE) in Western Sydney, an Australian Government-supported project that works at the intersection of arts, technology and community. For more information, see http://ice.org.au/

Ask the Hard Questions

Winner Best Film – Josephine Lie, for ‘Ask the Hard Questions’ is a piece that playfully approaches the issue of organ and tissue donation through a curious exploration of some of life’s more peculiar questions.

Superheroes

Winner Best interpretation of the Theme for DonateLife Week 2012 is ‘Superheroes’ by ‘Natasha Akib. ‘A young boy talks about his favourite superhero’.

One Life, One Decision

Judges also awarded an honorable mention to Jess Sparks for her film One Life, One Decision.

MORE FILM LIFE ENTRIES

Clapping Hands for Organ Donation

An example of a conversation about organ donation.

Waiting

FilmLife Festival entry by Semaema Cornford
A young girl on the transplant list waiting for a kidney transplant.

Daddy Saves Lives

FilmLife entry by Reece Vella.
Fionn meets Kyla in the playground. Kyla tells him she is a recipient and shows him her scar. Scared and confused, Fionn runs to his dad. Daddy teaches Fionn about organ donation and tells him that Daddy himself is an organ donor. With this gained knowledge, Fionn faces the world full of pride and shares his new understanding.

Decisions

FilmLife entry by Sarah Medew.
Gary has fallen off his bike and is now brain dead. His wife Sherrin has to decide whether she will agree to donate his organs.

104 Hearts

FilmLife entry by Sarah Lord.
A whimsical look at all the hearts in our life, and the importance of starting a conversation and knowing your loved ones wishes with regards to organ donation.

The Gift of Life

FilmLife entry by Jeff Agapitos and Jessica Magro
Two strangers jeff and jess, meet over an online games of workds with friends. Afters Days of consecutive playing, Jeff a Royal Flying Doctors picks up on a few symptoms of heart disease Jess might have. What happens next...

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Donate Life Week Australia - News Reports and Articles of Interest

Walkers put best foot forward for organ donation

DONATING TIME TO A WORTHY CAUSE

Entrants jostle at the line for the walking start to the event. Photo: Rohan Thomson


ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher joined the federal parliamentary secretary for health and ageing Catherine King, at the 2012 DonateLife walk from Regatta Point early this morning.

As the temperature hit 13 degrees in Canberra more than 2000 people walked around Lake Burley Griffin to raise awareness and show their support for organ donation.


The walk was one of the organised events of DonateLife week and Greens ACT Legislative Assembly member Shane Rattenbury urged Canberrans to consider becoming registered donors, and to discuss their decision with their family.


"This was my second year of going to the walk, and I am glad that it was much warmer this year," Mr Rattenbury said.

"I am a registered organ donor, and I have discussed it with my family. I like to think that if I died, I might be able to give life and hope to someone who needed it, or that if I or my family were in need we might benefit from the same generosity of another."


Read More:

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It's Time To Talk
22 Feb, 2012 11:02 AM

Ashley Cooper’s sister Rachael Martin with Governor General Quentin Bryce.

The call came from Governor General Quentin Bryce last week at the launch of 2012 DonateLife Week (February 19-26).

DonateLife Week is an initiative of the Organ and Tissue Authority as part of the Federal Government's National Reform Agenda to increase organ and tissue donation rates.

The Governor General encouraged Australians to use DonateLife Week to ask and know the donation wishes of their loved ones.

Read More: http://www.ulladullatimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/its-time-to-talk/2464058.aspx

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Plan now how to donate an orga

n

22 Feb, 2012 01:00 AM


MAY 18, 2010, is a date indelibly etched in Beryl Trevithick's memory.

That's the day her son Gary died unexpectedly. And the day she made a decision that would create a precious legacy he would be proud of.

When Gary died of a cerebral haemorrhage two years ago, Mrs Trevithick gave consent to donate his organs, a decision that she said was "heartbreaking" but not one that she regrets.

Speaking during DonateLife Week this week, Mrs Trevithick said: "It was so hard because you don't expect your children to go before you.

"We're very proud knowing he helped so many people."

Gary's kidneys were transplanted in two patients who had been for years on dialysis and 60 more people benefited from the donation of his bones.

"It was very difficult because we didn't even know Gary was an organ donor," she said.

"When my daughter checked his licence and saw he had ticked the box we knew we had to honour his wishes."

The theme of this year's organ donor awareness week is 'Ask and know your loved one's wishes' - a message Mrs Trevithick strongly supports.

Read More:

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