Mother’s late son’s organs saved 50 people after he died aged 22

A woman whose late son’s organs saved 50 people after he died aged 22 in a ‘freak hockey accident’ has said ‘it was the least we could do to think his life wasn’t in vain’.

Lisa Wilson, from Hornchurch in Essex, described on Lorraine today how her son Tom, who died from a brain haemorrhage, signed up to be an organ donor at 18-years-old and his organs went to the aid of 50 people. 

She was joined alongside Lubna Siddiqui and her nine-year-old daughter Fatima, who was given part of Tom’s liver in 2015.

The three guests have previously met after Fatima first received the transplant, and told their story together on the ITV programme to mark the sporting competition Transplant Games, in Leeds, which raises awareness of organ donation.

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Lisa whose late son’s organs saved 50 people after he died aged 22 in a ‘freak hockey accident’ has said ‘it was the least we could do to think his life wasn’t in vain’. Pictured, Tom

In 2015, Fatima, then aged two, was diagnosed with a rare liver disease and needed a transplant. 

At the same time, Tom was in a freak accident while playing hockey and later died. His organ saved Fatima’s life.

Discussing meeting Fatima, Lisa said: ‘It means everything, because Tom was young, fit, healthy, and sporty and when he had his accident, it was my late husband in the middle of the night who said “Lisa, there’s nothing anybody can do for Tom, but there is something Tom can do for others. Organ donation.” 

‘And if my stomach hadn’t turned a thousand times that night it turned again, but I realised my husband was right, but by making that decision and finding out that Tom had signed up… at university and was on the register, it was the least we could do, to think Tom’s life wasn’t in vain. 

‘So Tom went on to help and improve the lives through his tissue and organ donation of 50 people. But now to know and meet the people who are alive because of Tom is so special.’

Lisa was joined alongside Lubna Siddiqui and her nine-year-old daughter Fatima, who was given part of Tom’s liver in 2015

The three of them have previously met after Fatima first received the transplant, and told their story together on the ITV programme to mark the sporting competition Transplant Games, in Leeds, which raises awareness of organ donation

Lubna, meanwhile, described the moment she received the phone call saying that a liver transplant was available. 

She said: ‘That call was everything, words can’t describe it because it is that hope, that someone’s given us a chance to live and it was amazing.

‘At the time, when it sinks in, that there is a potential liver that we could maybe get, there is obviously that thought, and it was bittersweet, I can’t describe that feeling, something tragic has happened and because of that tragedy my girl’s got another chance at surviving.

‘It’s something that I cannot describe, it’s a really weird feeling, and when they mentioned the age of Tom, 22 at the time, that was even worse. That was a person that had his whole life ahead of him.’

Previously talking about Tom’s accident, his mother Lisa said: ‘It was a freak accident and it doesn’t really happen in hockey, it’s a wonderful game – but he was hit on the back of the head – rushed to hospital where they said they couldn’t help him.

In 2015, Fatima, then aged two, was diagnosed with a rare liver disease and needed a transplant

At the same time, Tom was in a freak accident while playing hockey and later died. His organ saved Fatima’s life. Pictured, Tom Wilson (left) and his father Graham

‘My husband turned to me in the middle of the night and said we can’t do anything for him but he can do something for other people – we should think about organ donation.

‘If my stomach hadn’t turned thousands times that night- it turned again, but I knew he was right.

‘So we went to see a donor nurse – I was so proud when I found out he had signed up to the electronic register when he first went to university.’

Tragically, eight weeks later Lisa’s husband Graham died too, but his dying wish was to keep Tom’s memory alive.

‘The day before he died he said “we need to do this to keep the memory of him alive”‘, said Lisa.