Coventry mum's comfort to hear from those with son's organs
- Published
The family of a man killed in a hit-and-run crash say they have received thank you letters from those whose lives were saved by his donated organs.
Aaron Wilson, 29, had his leg amputated as a result of the crash in Coventry, but despite the operation, later died in hospital.
The father-of-one's heart, liver and lungs were among the organs transferred to other patients, his family said.
His mum, Irene Wilson, said she had letters from three of the recipients.
Recalling the events of 2019, which happened close to a chip shop on Longford Road, Mrs Wilson said she remembered getting a phone call to say her son had been involved in a crash.
"His two legs had been crushed [but] he didn't have a mark on him from the waist up," she explained.
Friend Nicola Good added: "We were preparing ourselves for an amputee patient but it wasn't the outcome we got.
"It was probably one of the saddest days of my life, knowing that when we got on to the ward, he wasn't going to survive it."
Mr Wilson, from the Willenhall area of the city, left behind his wife Katie and their daughter, who was three at the time.
The issue of organ donation was raised by hospital staff, his mother said, adding: "Me and Katie said yes straight away, because we knew that was what Aaron would have wanted."
Ms Good said: "There were six ambulances in position, and they were all from different transplant teams up and down the country, and each ambulance was for an organ."
Some recipients have since made contact with the family.
In a letter, one of them describes how she has just finished a nursing degree.
"I don't know if i would have done it without my transplant, it has been amazing," she wrote.
Mrs Wilson said she had also heard from a man who received her son's heart.
"It's just so lovely to [get the messages]," she explained.
"It gives you a bit of comfort to know somebody else is surviving because of Aaron."
Family members have matching tattoos of AW6, incorporating a Marvel Avengers sign "because he was a superhero", said Ms Good.
"He was our hero and we class him as a hero," she added.
Four people have been charged in connection with the death, and are set to appear at Coventry Crown Court on 30 May.
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- Published8 December 2019