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Family Handout/PA Wire
UK News

Christian organ transplant recipient 'amazed' after girl breaks donation record

Jemima Layzell from Taunton in Somerset was 13 when she died unexpectedly in March 2012 from a brain aneurysm.

Her parents said she'd only spoken about being willing to donate a couple of weeks before.

In total, eight of her organs were donated - her heart, small bowel, pancreas, both kidneys, both lungs, and her liver was split and transplanted into two people. A typical donation usually results in 2.6 transplants.

Family Handout/PA Wire

Andy Eddy an organ donation campaigner told Premier it's "absolutely amazing that her decision can affect so many people".

Eddy said he personally knows the impact of Jemima's choice because he received an organ from a donor in 2009.

He told Premier: "I've received a liver after long illness.

"My life after going from somebody who's really ill to fitness and health is a remarkable and amazing thing.

"Organ donation can not only save lives but make lives better as well."

Eddy said the key message from Jemima's story is the importance of people discussing organ donation with their families.

He said families of 36 per cent of people on the organ donation register have refused for their loved one's organs to be used.

"That's really sad," he said. "It's good to be on the organ donor register, but it's important to tell your loved ones that this is what you'd like to happen should a tragedy happen to you, because it's the loved ones who would then need to know your decision."

Eddy told Premier he believes Christianity and organ donation "go hand in hand".

"It's very much what should be done," he added." I think all Christians should agree to save somebody's life in those circumstances is the right thing to do."

Eddy told Premier the Church should also play a role in organ donation.

"I do think we as a society we all need to come to together as a Church to say this is fundamentally a good thing, this should happen, we need to have an open discussion about it."

Listen to Andy Eddy speaking with Premier's Tola Mbakwe here:

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