MAN DEAD HUSBAND’S

WHEN LILLY’S HUSBAND TRAGICALLY TOOK HIS OWN LIFE, HE ENDED UP SAVING SOMEONE ELSE FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE

to for Leonard. If it wasn’t for my son, I don’t know where I would be today.’

Lilly had to find the strength, despite her intense sadness, to have Leonard – without her husband being there by her side to support her.

‘It was a difficult and very emotional day,’ she says.

During her 20-hour labour, her mother, sister and Rudy’s aunt Teresa were with her for much-needed support – and Leonard was born on July 6, weighing 4.7kg.

Rudy had already chosen to be an organ donor in the event of his death. When he died, Lily respected his wishes.

All of his major organs – including his lungs, heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas – were donated, but when Lilly was approached about donating his face by an organisation called Lifesource, she was apprehensive.

‘I kept thinking: “What if the recipient looks like Rudy,”’ she admits. ‘That would have been very hard for me to handle, knowing that there was a man who looked like my husband living out there.’

But the medics reassured Lilly that the recipient’s different bone structure would mean that wouldn’t be the case.

‘All the same, I was still really nervous about it,’ Lilly says.

But knowing it had been her husband’s wish to help others after his death, she agreed.

In June 2016, during an epic 56-hour operation, Rudy’s face was transplanted onto Andy’s.

The pair were a match – having the same blood type, skin colour and similar facial shapes. The operation was a success, and in October Lilly met Andy.

She took Leonard with her so he could meet the man who his daddy had helped, and she couldn’t stop herself reaching out to touch Andy’s face as the tears fell from her eyes.

‘Andy was himself – he didn’t look like Rudy and it was a relief,’ she says candidly. ‘I was so happy to see him.’

She adds Andy was incredibly grateful for the donation.

Now, Lilly is taking each day at a time, and she has no regrets.

‘Organ donation is the best thing you can do,’ she explains.

‘I believe that everyone who received Rudy’s organs is part of our family in some way.’