Young donor saves four lives after family’s brave decision | News
Young donor saves four lives after family’s brave decision
A mother whose son's organs saved four lives is joining colleagues at Royal Surrey during Organ Donation Week to help raise awareness of the importance of discussing organ donation with loved ones.
Twenty-year-old Jamie-Luke Laugharne was admitted to Royal Surrey in February 2025 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Despite the efforts of staff caring for him, it became clear that he would not survive.
During this incredibly difficult time, Jamie-Luke's mother, Kerri, was supported by colleagues to make an informed decision about donation. Although organ donation was something Kerri and her son had never discussed, she felt it was the right thing to do.
Kerri said: "Organ donation was never something Jamie-Luke and I had discussed.
"He was young, full of life and had so much ahead of him.
"He was a kind, caring and lovely boy and because of the person he was, donating his organs felt like the right thing to do. Even in death, he was able to help others.
"As a mother experiencing unimaginable pain, I took comfort in knowing that his donation could save and transform lives. I also hoped that, in some small way, it might spare other families from facing the same devastating loss and heartbreak that we were enduring."
Jamie-Luke's kidney and liver were transplanted into recipients, including a teenage girl who had been waiting three years for a kidney transplant.
As part of her commitment to raising awareness of organ donation, Kerri is now working alongside Royal Surrey colleagues to encourage people to have conversations about their wishes with those closest to them.
Reflecting on the events that brought her to Royal Surrey, she said:
"I called him when I finished work and he was out with friends. I just asked if he was coming home and whether he wanted any dinner. It was a completely normal conversation.
"I never imagined that would be our last conversation."
Kerri later learned that, as a result of the cardiac arrest, Jamie-Luke's brain had been starved of oxygen and he would not survive.
She said: "I found myself in every parent's nightmare, but it brought some comfort knowing that a part of Jamie-Luke was going to live on through his organ donation.
"I received a lovely letter from one of the recipients and their mother and those words provided comfort during some of the darkest days.
"I would encourage everyone to have a conversation with their loved ones about organ donation. Knowing their wishes can make an incredibly difficult time a little easier and could give others the chance of a future."
Organ Donation Week is an opportunity to raise awareness of the difference donation can make and to encourage people to record and share their decision with loved ones, helping families at a time when they may be faced with making difficult choices.