Organ donation: Parents proud daughter's death saved three lives

The family of a young woman who died following a car crash say they are "incredibly proud" her organs were used to save three other people.

Claudia-Rose Moor, 23, from St Leonards, East Sussex, was critically injured in the crash in April 2020.

For four days doctors at the Royal Sussex County Hospital tried to save her, but she did not survive.

Despite the pandemic affecting the number of organ transplants, Miss Moor gifted her heart, liver and a kidney.

After she was given the news Miss Moor would not survive, her mother, Nichola, recalled a family conversation from a year earlier, in which her daughter had insisted she wanted to be an organ donor.

"I just knew I had to make it happen," Mrs Moor said.

"She would give anyone anything, she was so generous, and her lasting legacy is giving life to three other people.

"She treated strangers as friends and that's what's so poignant about her being a donor."

Coronavirus meant there was a possibility the donation would not go ahead.

Transplants became riskier to perform due to concerns around safely treating patients in hospitals, and a lack of available resources.

"Luckily, she was able to donate three organs, which is amazing, we are so incredibly proud," Mrs Moor added.

A report published earlier by NHS Blood and Transplant revealed the number of transplants fell by 20% between March 2020 and March 2021.

The report said 487 people died waiting for a transplant last year, compared to 372 the year before.

Carl Flynn, 32, from Manchester, received a heart transplant during the pandemic.

He was put on the waiting list after nearly dying of a heart attack aged 25.

He got a call on his birthday and said: "It was the most amazing present I will ever receive.

"I think about my donor family every day. I can't thank them enough for their kindness."

Due to the backlog there are about 7,000 people waiting for a transplant in the UK - the highest number since 2012/2013.

John Forsythe, NHS Blood and Transplant medical director, said team efforts had been "phenomenal", but added: "Organ donation and transplantation will take some time to recover completely."

In May 2020 organ donation law changed in England and Scotland to an opt-out system; meaning it is now assumed people want to donate after death unless they register otherwise.

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