EVERY year hundreds of lives are saved with the help of donated organs but, what many people may not realise, is that donated tissues like skin, bone, tendons and heart valves can dramatically improve quality of life for recipients. Just one donation can help at least 40 other people and, in an exclusive interview with JEN GREEN, Warwick and Jennifer Gledhill, from Tenbury Wells, talk about taking comfort in the knowledge that their daughter's gifts have already helped others.

TWENTY four year-old Nicola Gledhill was killed in November.

She was exercising horses in the lanes above Little Hereford and was discovered lying in the road.

She was taken to Hereford Hospital were she died from her injuries.

Nicola carried a donor card and her grieving parents, Warwick and Jennifer, cannot praise A&E staff enough for helping them come to the right decision.

"Like many other grieving families, we had very little knowledge about tissue donations but, within an hour of our daughter's death, everything was explained to us with so much care and sensitivity," recalled Jennifer.

"But when we were asked how we felt about it, we instantly knew it was right. Our daughter cared about people in life and we knew her well enough to know she would want her death to benefit others."

The couple agreed that no one was in any way "pushy". They were contacted the same evening by Rhonda Malone, donor co-ordinator for the area, who explained sensitively what would be involved.

Warwick said: "Everything that can be used is taken and frozen at post mortem stage and body parts, like bones and joints are replaced with a prosthesis."

"Knowing this helped us a lot and we agreed they could remove any parts they could use - but not the eyes." Asked why, Jennifer replied: "You can see the soul of a person in their eyes and Nicola's were very beautiful."

In the end Nicola was able to donate 20 separate parts. Tissue transplant offers huge benefits, such as relieving constant pain and helping people return to work.

It can also save lives. When organ transplant is not possible, it can offer a family the chance to fulfil a loved one's wishes and bring them comfort during the grieving process.

Rhonda explained: "At times like this there seems to be a misconception that asking a family at such an emotional time may make matters worse, but this is not the case.

"Pending the coroner's consent, donation takes place within 24 hours of time of death.

"What we ask will not bring the relative back or make it worse - the worst has just happened."

"About half of the people asked agree to donate. We have a duty of care to give them the option, our views don't matter. At the end of the day it's their choice." Warwick and Jennifer agree that tissue donation really does need publicising.

"It might not be life-saving like organ transplant, but it can so improve peoples' lives.

"That our daughter has already helped improve someone's quality of life sustains us through our grief and is a great comfort to us," said Jennifer. "We are so grateful to Rhonda, Hereford Hospital, the police and emergency services for their overwhelming understanding and care, and urge anyone who is unfortunate to be in our circumstances to seriously consider the donor tissue service."