An Aberystwyth artist who received a kidney transplant almost 30 years ago has paid tribute to organ donors with his latest work.

Ted Harrison’s The Song of the Nightingale, which is displayed at St Thomas’s Hospital in London, honours organ donors and remembers, in particular, a little girl who saved the lives of five others.

Ten-year-old Ella Thatcher donated her heart, kidneys, lungs, liver and pancreas.

Little Ella, from West Sussex, died in 2018 following a seizure. She had Dravet syndrome, a very rare and severe form of childhood epilepsy.

Her parents, Anna and Mike, decided to donate their daughter’s organs and want to encourage people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

“It was the hardest thing because we were just willing her to blink or make a sign, but after all the tests we were left in no doubt that she had gone,” said Anna, 46.

“It was a complete shock but I could see that everyone at Evelina London Children’s Hospital had tried their best and we both agreed that her organs should be donated if they were suitable.

“The staff were amazing right from the start. They stroked her hair, spoke to her and kept her warm. A senior nurse who had just finished a night shift even stayed to hold Ella’s hand in the operating theatre so she wasn’t alone.”

Anna, who has two other children, added: “It’s really comforting to know that a bit of her goes on and that other families didn’t have to go through the same thing. Because of Ella, five other families out there never had to plan funerals or miss the person they love.”

Ella’s organs helped to save the lives of two children and three adults.

Anna said: “We received a letter from the child who got her heart and they called Ella a hero – that was amazing.”

Ella’s initials were recently engraved onto a new piece of artwork by Ted Harrison that honours those who have donated organs and helped save the lives of others.

Ted, who received a kidney transplant almost 30 years ago at Guy’s Hospital in London, said: “I will be forever grateful to my donor and her family for such an immense gift. The nightingale is the theme of the artwork – not only because of this hospital’s historic links with Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing, but also because in nature the nightingale sings a beautiful song of new hope even when the night seems to be at its darkest.

“The idea is that over time new leaves and stars will be added with names of organ donors engraved on them. It is made from cut steel of two different tones and coloured felt.”

• To sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register and to find out more, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

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