Tiny Teddy should inspire us all

I feel nothing but awe and respect for the parents of Teddy, Britain’s youngest organ donor. Teddy lived for only 100 minutes, but they had agreed to donate his kidneys and heart valves.

The thought process that got them there, the grace and skill of the medical team who facilitated the transfer … all of it shows human nature at its very best.

In 2013, doctors told mum Jess evans during her 12th week of pregnancy that one of the twin sons she was carrying suffered a fatal condition which stops the brain and skull from developing.

She and fiancé Mike Houlston were told their baby would either be stillborn or die shortly after birth.

In a Cardiff hospital last year, that’s exactly what happened. The nurse who was with them said: ‘The family were amazingly brave.

‘They had an hour and a half of pure joy — they were overjoyed that they had those precious minutes with him.’ After that, the nurse took Teddy to the operating theatre. His kidneys saved the life of an unknown adult with renal failure.

‘He died a hero,’ said Jess and Mike, who’ve gone public to raise funds for the charity 2 Wish Upon A Star, which helps bereaved parents.

Teddy’s story reminds us that three people die every day waiting for organ donors. A great number of British people do sign consent to donate their organs — you can tick a box on the new driving licence, for example — but families often veto that request in hospital.

Which begs the question: should a decision made by an adult in a thoughtful and calm way be overturned by family members who are in grief and a high emotional state?

Nothing seems appropriate at such a fraught moment, but overturning the wishes of the deceased also seems wrong.