Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
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leftde of and had three operations before his first transplant at just two years old.
He was put on a transplant list again following a heart attack. He received Triston’s heart aged 20 in October 2015 and spoke to Becky on the phone for the first time on her 40th birthday earlier this year.
Now she’d like to meet the others who benefited from her son’s organs. Becky – also mum to Chase, 21, Maddy, 15, and Paige, 13 – says: “Our only boy saved five people’s lives and I’d like to meet them.”
Over 9,000 people have signed the Mirror’s petition calling for a change in the law since we first told the story of nine-year-old Max Johnson, who has waited six months for a new heart. His family, from Winsford, Cheshire, also back our campaign.
The change would increase the number of available organs. Cabinet minister Damian Green admitted “there is more that can be done” when asked about the issue in the Commons by Labour MP Dan Jarvis.
There has been a 20% rise in yearly transplants in Britain over the past five years, reaching a record 4,753 in 2016/17. There are 23.6 million registered donors but one in 10 families refuse to release their organs as they did not discuss their wishes in advance. Last year 457 people died on the transplant waiting list.
Becky urges potential donors: “Just do it. It saves lives and changes lives.”
She adds: “Everyone has a legacy but to see how Triston changed Jacob’s life is incredible. It makes you superproud.”
Support the Mirror’s campaign at organdonation.nhs.uk or sign our petition at mirror.co.uk/donor. For Love Adventured, see loveadventured.com