‘WE ARE GRIEVING BUT KNOW SHANE SAVED THE LIVES OF 5 PEOPLE’
Mum’s tribute as 20-year-old son’s organs donated to critically ill patients
A DEVASTATED mum mourning the loss of her 20-year-old son has spoken of her pride – after his donated organs gave the gift of life to five critically-ill patients.
Shane Dineen passed away at the Royal Stoke University Hospital earlier this year after collapsing at his Bentilee home and suffering a bleed on the brain.
The 20-year-old art student had finished his studies at Stokeon-trent Sixth Form College and completed his first term at Staffordshire University when tragedy struck.
Now the former Discovery Academy pupil’s heart, lungs, liver and kidneys have been donated to five patients – including a teenage girl desperate for a liver translant and a 60-yearold who had been on the waiting list for eight years.
Mum Vicky Scott, aged 48, said: “Shane was a really lovable, chatty, pleasant, hard-working boy. He had just done his first term at university where he was studying fine art and he was thoroughly enjoying it. He had lots of friends and as far as we knew he was fit and healthy.
“On Christmas Eve, 2020 he started with a really bad headache. He was lying in bed, gripping his head and vomiting, so we phoned 999. He couldn’t even stand. He was assessed by paramedics and spent three days in bed.
“After this he recovered and seemed to be absolutely fine, until about two weeks’ later.
“One day I had finished work early, so Shane and I went food shopping. I remember he bought some presents for one of his best friends while we were there.
“Then we went home and he started with a headache again, so he took some paracetamol, but within 45 minutes he was vomiting. He went to bed and I kept going in to check on him.
“At one point he seemed to have fallen asleep, which I was glad about because I thought it’d make him feel better. I went into my bedroom and then heard a massive bang, so I rushed in.
“He had fallen out of bed and was having a fit. I put my hand under his head to protect it and we called an ambulance.
“He was taken to hospital and straight to X-ray, where they found he’d suffered a bleed on the brain. They tried to drain it, but it just kept filling up and there was nothing they could do.
“Due to the nature of Shane’s death, I was approached about organ donation. It wasn’t something we had discussed with Shane. With someone so young you don’t really talk about these things. So I had to decide.
“One of our friends had lost their baby due to a failed liver transplant and I knew that Shane was someone who always wanted to help, so I decided to go ahead with it. The decision was actually pretty easy.
“Nothing was ever too much trouble for Shane and he’d always go out of his way for people. This is the last thing he could do to help and I believe it’s what he would have wanted.”
NHS Blood and Transplant has written to Shane’s family about the people whose lives have been changed thanks to the incredible gifts they received.
Vicky added: “It must be such a relief to all these people and their families. Now they can live a better life. We’re all grieving and trying to come to terms with what’s happened, but I’m just so pleased we were able to do this.
“At least something good has come out of something truly awful. Shane has given these people the best gift they could possibly receive. He will be missed by lots of people.”
The Royal Stoke has thanked Shane’s family.
Nurse Kirsty Lazenby said: “This kind of situation calls for an enormous amount of tact, but during a pandemic everything is even more complicated.
“Despite the adversities we faced, staff in A&E right through to theatres managed to facilitate the donation and Shane has gone on to save the lives of five people, making an immeasurable difference to their lives.
“It’s amazing that his family were still able to think of others at this heartbreaking time.”