As Organ Donation Week (21-28 September) begins, bereaved parents Claire and Mark Elliott are bravely sharing the story of their loss to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.
Their son George Elliott was just 23 years old when he suffered a catastrophic aneurysm and collapsed at work in August 2015. Despite the efforts of the emergency services, including a team from Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS), George sadly passed away.
In the years since, George’s family and friends have honoured his memory by raising more than £125 for KSS and helping to raise awareness of organ donation.
However, thanks to a decision George made when he was still at school, his death gave others the chance to live.
George became interested in organ donation when he was just 11 years old after watching a television programme with his parents, Claire and Mark. He later carried an organ donor card and made clear his wishes to donate his organs if anything happened to him.
His organs went on to help nine people, including a young child and a man who received George’s heart and lungs when he was just hours from death.
George’s mother Claire said: “There’s no way we would have said no to organ donation because that’s what George wanted. He was a very caring and loving young man, so we feel very lucky to have been able to make his wishes come true.
“We’ll always be grateful for everything KSS did for George that day and for the care and compassion they showed then and continued to show our family.”
Several years after George’s death, Claire and Mark met the man whose life had been saved by receiving George’s heart and lungs.
The recipient, who had been around 24 hours from dying, was able to live for another seven years. During that time, he watched his children complete their GCSEs and A-levels and supported them as they went on to university.
Mark Elliott said: “It was lovely to meet him and to see that they could still be a family together because of George.”
George’s liver kidneys, corneas and other tissues were also used to help others.
Reflecting on the impact of organ donation, Claire said:“It’s helped us massively knowing that George was able to benefit so many people, even after he died. He’s made a huge difference to the lives of so many people. Organ donation makes such a difference to the recipient’s lives, but it’s made a difference to us too. It means George’s life wasn’t wasted. He’s helped an awful lot of people, and probably still does. For us, it means he’s still around.”
Over the past decade, George’s family and friends have raised more than £125k for KSS through a variety of fundraising events and activities, helping the charity continue providing lifesaving care across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
HEMS Paramedic, KSS David Wright, who was part of the team that attended George, said: “George’s story has stayed with many of us over the years. We’re incredibly grateful to Claire, Mark, their family and friends for the support they have shown KSS in his memory.
“George’s legacy is extraordinary. Not only has he helped transform the lives of so many people through organ donation, but his family’s fundraising has helped KSS continue caring for patients across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. It’s a legacy that continues to make a difference every day.“
During Organ Donation Week, Claire and Mark hope their son’s story will encourage others to make their wishes known and have conversations with their families.
“Being able to donate George’s organs helped us massively,” said Claire. “We would encourage everyone to think about organ donation and talk to their loved ones about what they would want.”
To read more about George’s story see here. For more information about organ donation, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.
