Wrexham mother's transplant gift 'helped our healing process'

When Heather Beckett suffered a catastrophic asthma attack which triggered a cardiac arrest, her family was left with devastating news.

The previously fit 60-year-old from Wrexham was revived but after a week hoping against hope, her family was told she had irreparable brain damage.

They agreed to donate her organs, which meant "something good has come from this most horrific day".

Now her daughter is urging others to ensure their wishes are registered.

Although in Wales people are assumed to have consented to organ donations unless they actively opt out, NHS Blood and Transplant is still asking people to positively register so there is no room for doubt in their families' minds.

Charlotte Beckett, 29, described her mother as "as fit as a fiddle", and someone who had never smoked, or been a big drinker but walked and cycled every day.

However she had developed asthma in her later years and in October 2019 had a bad attack. As her husband was taking her to hospital, she suffered a cardiac arrest in the car.

Charlotte explained: "Dad still got her to hospital and after 13 minutes the amazing doctors and nurses got her back breathing and although she was critically ill we thought we had her back.

"However, after what I can only explain as the worst week of our life we were told Mum would not recover as the trauma of the lack of oxygen had caused irreparable brain damage."

Heather had worked as a carer and an auxiliary nurse and when the family was approached about organ donation, they knew it was something the "giving and kind" Heather would have loved to do.

"The specialist organ donation nurses helped us as a family to have that very precious and final hour with my mum.

"Ten of us including my gran and my mum's closest family sang her favourite songs and held her as she passed," Charlotte said.

"A few weeks later on my brother's 30th birthday we received the most amazing news and what we take as a sign from above, that mum helped to save the lives of at least three people.

"Mum donated her liver, kidneys and heart valves which may even be able to help newborn babies - mum loved babies."

The family has since received letters from the donor recipients, including one on Heather's birthday.

"The letters helped give us confirmation that we did the right thing. We had never really spoken about organ donation with mum, she hadn't opted out but it was still a tough decision to make at the hardest time of our life.

"Agreeing to organ donation has meant something good has come from the most horrific day and it has helped in our healing process."

Charlotte was later presented with the Order of St John on behalf of Heather, an award from the monarch recognising those who donate organs.

She said: "Mum would have been thrilled to have received an award on behalf of the Queen. She was a real royalist so receiving this felt like the icing on the cake."