The grieving parents of a teenager who was killed in a car crash spoke of their pride after part of his liver was donated to help a dying woman – have a BABY.
Tragic Matthew Ferguson, 17, died after he lost control of his car on his way to work in April 2008.
His parents Andrew and Gill, both 47, agreed to donate his organs and part of his liver helped save the life of a critically ill six-year-old girl with organ failure.
One of his kidney’s was given to a dying woman which meant she lived long enough to watch her 17-year-old son grow up.
Even his lungs, which were badly crushed in the crash, were used to test a new ventilator in Manchester helping save hundreds of lives since.
And it emerged a 23-year-old woman who received half of his liver had just fulfilled her life-long dream of having a baby.
Proud dad Andrew said: ”It doesn’t lessen the pain of losing Matthew but it certainly helps to know what a difference he has made to other people.
”He would be very happy to know how much he has helped them. All he ever wanted to do when he was alive was to help others.”
The 23-year-old woman visited her doctor after months of struggling to conceive.
Tests revealed she was suffering from liver failure and her GP told her she might never be able to have a baby.
But four months after she received half of Matthew’s liver, she fell pregnant and last month gave birth to a girl.
The law bans the Ferguson’s from knowing the identity of the woman but she has contacted them anonymously to thank them for their son’s organ.
Andrew, who now gives talks with his wife promoting organ donation, said: ”That completes the circle of life, a little girl who would never have been born if it wasn’t for Matthew.”
Matthew had just returned from a trip to Kenya where he helped to build a school for deprived youngsters when he died.
The apprentice landscape gardener was driving near his home in Warwick when his Renault Clio collided with a Range Rover travelling in the opposite direction.
Andrew and Gill held a bedside vigil for three days before they made the heart-breaking decision to allow doctors to remove his organs.
Andrew said: ”We believe Matthew’s spirit made the operation to remove his organs work.
”He was so weak that doctor’s weren’t sure if they could operate. He hung on to give staff the time to do what they needed.”
Gill added: ”It might sound strange but when the doctors asked us about donation we knew it was the right thing to do.
”We knew that if we didn’t do it, Matthew would have gone up in smoke which would have been such a waste.
”The only thing we regret is not donating Matthew’s cornea’s but we’ve never regretted donating the rest.”
