Nurse donated her organs to save lives after death
HandoutThe family of a nurse whose organs helped save the lives of four people after she died are taking on Yorkshire's Three Peaks in her memory.
Pauline Thornton, 62, who worked for Hull University Teaching Hospitals for 42 years, donated her heart, kidneys and liver when she died from a brain haemorrhage in February.
Her family, friends and colleagues are planning to climb Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough on 22 August to raise funds for NHS Blood and Transplant Charity and Hull Help for Refugees.
Pauline's daughter Claire Thornton, who works as a nurse in Hull, said her mother showed generosity "her whole life" and was able to help others "even in death".
Pauline began her nursing career in Hull in 1984 when she worked in the theatres at Hull Royal Infirmary as a scrub nurse.
She became the charge nurse in the Centenary building at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.
Despite taking flexible retirement in 2019, she chose to work as a scrub nurse in paediatric theatres at Hull Women and Children's Hospital.
She also volunteered at Hull Help for Refugees.
"She was a hugely popular member of the team, known for tending her allotment on her days off to share her produce with her colleagues," NHS Humber Health Partnership said.
'Lifetime helping others'
Claire said she hoped sharing her mum's story would "raise awareness of the lifesaving gift of organ donation".
She said: "It can feel like an incredibly difficult decision at the worst moment of a family's life, but knowing your loved one's wishes can bring comfort and clarity.
"We know mum would have been so proud to have saved the lives of four people and helped many others, despite her sudden and untimely passing."
Janine Tate, specialist nurse in organ donation at Hull United Teaching Hospitals, was with Pauline's family when they made the decision to donate.
She said: "They knew it was what Pauline would have wanted. She's spent a lifetime helping others.
"I'll be joining them for the third climb and we're just so grateful to Pauline and her family for all they've done – and are still doing – to support organ donation."
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