A family has shared how they found comfort in organ donation after their loved one died from choking on a marshmallow.
Sam Woods, 51 and from Birchington, had just been out for lunch with her family when the tragic accident occurred.
Her sister Julie Woods recalled: “Everything was fine. We were laughing, joking, as you do. Sam was living with my mum at the time.
“They went home, and Sam choked on a marshmallow in the kitchen.”
Sam’s family congregated at her bedside at the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, where they were sadly told that her brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long.
Julie, 62, said: “It was such a huge shock to us all.
“There were about 18 of us all sat around Sam’s bedside, just trying to make sense of the fact that she wouldn’t make it.”
Sam, who had Down’s syndrome, competed in the Special Olympics which took her over the globe in events such as relay and throwing.
Her proud family were approached by a doctor on the day of her death in September 2023 and asked if they would be interested in organ donation.
Despite not discussing the topic with her sister while she was alive, the decision was instant.
She explained: “We had mistakenly believed Sam wouldn’t be able to donate her organs as she had Down’s syndrome, but as soon as we knew she could, I turned to my mum and said, “I think Sam would really like that.”
“Sam was really kind and would always think of others before herself; that was just the kind of person she was.’
Julie said the support of the organ donation team was invaluable, adding: “They explained everything they were going to do. They really were amazing.”
Sam was able to donate her kidneys to two men in their 60s, her liver to a lady in her 30s, and her lungs to another woman.
In recognition of her donation, Sam was posthumously handed the Order of St John Award for Organ Donation.
Awarded in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, the annual awards are presented to families in tribute of those who have saved or transformed others’ lives through organ donation.
“She loved getting medals and would have been really pleased to get the award for donating her organs,” her sister added.
“Organ donation gave us some comfort; it was just knowing there were people out there whose lives have been improved because of Sam.
“I would urge anyone who finds themselves in the difficult position we did to think about what organ donation can do.
“In your darkest times, it can be hard to think about it, but you’re giving a future to someone else.”
It is currently Organ Donation Week, and statistics from NHS Blood and Transplant show the number of people needing a transplant is at a 10-year high.
The Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 came into effect in May 2020.
Under the law, all adults in England are considered to have agreed to donate their organs unless they are a member of an excluded group or record a decision not to donate.
However, the individual’s loved ones will always be consulted before organ donation goes ahead.
Simon, who works across several of East Kent Hospitals’ sites, said: “During Organ Donation Week, the NHS is encouraging everyone to register their organ donation decision on the Organ Donor Register.
“Organ donation is very rare and can only happen if you die on a ventilator in intensive care. Approximately 1400 people donate their organs every year in often sudden and unexpected circumstances.
“Confirming your decision on the organ donor register means there is one less thing for your family to worry about during an already difficult time.”
