Honour for Leeds' 'first of a kind' organ donor

An organ donor whose gift of life broke new ground in Leeds has been honoured with a plaque.

Billy Mottershead died in April 2002 aged 20 after being involved in a car crash.

He did not qualify as donor at the time due to strict criteria but his parents pushed for the policy to be changed so he could help 30 people.

Leeds General Infirmary has unveiled a plaque and named a family room in the intensive care unit after Billy.

The University of Cumbria student was due to return to college when his trip to a climbing wall ended in tragedy.

His parents, Ian and Elaine, rushed to Leeds General Infirmary but were told their son would not survive his injuries.

They told doctors they wanted to donate his organs but in 2002 only patients who were confirmed brain dead were deemed suitable for donations and as his heart had stopped beating Billy did not meet the criteria.

"Although a very small number of hospitals were beginning to consider organ donation in circumstances such as this - organ donation after withdrawal of life support and the heart stopping - this was very new and wasn't established in Leeds," said Dr Paul Murphy, consultant in neuroanaesthesia at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

He said Mr and Mrs Mottershead were "insistent" adding: "They just wouldn't take no for an answer."

Mr Mottershead said: "We just kept saying that they had to find a way for him to become a donor. We just couldn't accept that a young, fit lad like our Billy was just going to go.

"Somehow, they changed the policy almost overnight so that Billy could become an organ donor."

Billy helped improve and save 30 people's lives.

The doctors and nurses who had cared for Billy shared his story across the country and now every hospital has adopted the policy.

In the 20 years since Billy's death, there have been nearly 8,000 organ donors who would not have qualified under the old rules.

Dr Murphy said: "This is down to the bravery and insistence of Billy's parents who would not take no for an answer, who were determined that their son would be in his death as he had been in his life, their hero."

Mr Mottershead said: "I think he would be smiling and thinking 'I did that'."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].