Jane Moffat was delighted when her granddaughter Emma Jane was born on Christmas Eve 2013. But just days later, Jane's daughter Rhona was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage.
Sadly, nothing could be done for the mum-of-two, and Jane was devastated.
“Rhona was so young and fit, we never expected to lose her,” mum Jane told The Mirror.
There was one good thing to come out of her tragic death, however.
Doctors requested permission to use Rhona’s organs, and the family agreed. Rhona’s organs were used to save five people, including Lisa Shrive, a 47-year-old mum-of-two who desperately needed a life-saving lung transplant.
Now, Lisa and Jane say they’re friends for life, and it's thanks to Rhona's (pictured below) 'gift of life.'
Jane (55), who lives in Edinburgh with husband John, said: “I felt an instant connection with Lisa the moment I met her,” she said.
“It was so emotional as I know that Lisa is only alive today thanks to the precious gift of Rhona’s lungs.”
“It meant so much to actually be able to meet her in person. We will be friends now for the rest of our lives. It was devastating when we lost Rhona, and to see Lisa doing so well, being a mother to her daughters, meant the world to us.”
“It offers us some comfort after losing Rhona, to see what her gift gave to Lisa. It has allowed Lisa to be a mum to her children.”
Lisa from Nottingham had a serious lung condition called sarcoidosis which developed into emphysema. A few years later, her lung collapsed and she underwent an operation to remove half of her damaged lung.
She was left bedridden and was put on the transplant list in July 2013. The mum-of-two had to rely on her little girl, Amy, to help her with daily activities including getting out of bed and using her nebuliser. Amy, now 12, even had to sleep in the same room as her mum for two years.
“Amy had to do everything for me,” she said. “I couldn’t go anywhere because I was constantly gasping for breath. Amy was fantastic but it was awful for such a young girl to see her mother go through what I did.”
After Lisa had the lung transplant in 2014, she wrote to Jane and it wasn’t long before they formed a unique bond.
“Having the transplant really changed my life. It completely gave me my life back and it changed Amy’s life as well,” she said. “Suddenly she didn’t have to do everything to help me, and could spend more time with her friends and doing what she wanted to do.”
While Lisa was nervous about sending the letter, and unsure if she’d even get a response, but Jane was delighted to hear from the woman who her daughter inadvertently helped.
“From the minute we met, I felt an instant connection to her,” she said. "She came to our house and stayed for hours with us, chatting about her transplant and about Rhona. I’d been so nervous about meeting her, yet within minutes I felt like I’d known her all my life.”
Touchingly, Rhona was compelled the put her hands on Lisa’s chest and feel her daughter’s lungs breathing inside this other woman.
“I put my hands onto her chest and I could feel her chest moving up and down with every breath she took with Rhona’s lungs, and I know that it had only been made possible because of Rhona.”
Jane has met Lisa’s daughter Amy, and Lisa has met Rhona’s sisters.
“When Rhona’s daughters grow up we will make sure they know all about their lovely mum, and the gift she gave to Lisa. Rhona was a great mother, and they kiss her photo whenever they see it.”
What a touching story, and a strong reminder that organ donation can help other families.
