Teddy Houlston parent’s knew that their unborn son’s life would be short lived.
At 12 weeks pregnant, his mother, Jess Evans was told he had a rare and fatal condition which prevented the brain and skull from developing.
Doctors warned Evans and her fiance Mike Houlston that the baby would either be stillborn or die very shortly afterwards.
The couple, who are childhood sweethearts, described the moment they found out the terrible news as ‘soul destroying’.
But, despite this tragic diagnosis, the couple from Cardiff were determined that their son’s life would be remembered.
They decided to allow his kidneys and heart valves to be donated so he could save the lives of others.
Teddy and his twin brother, Noah Houlston, were born a year ago, but Teddy died after only just 100 minutes of life.
His parents were offered the option to abort the pregnancy but told that they felt they wanted to know and see their son even if only for a short while.
“Even if we had a moment with him, or 10 minutes, or an hour, that time was the most precious thing we would ever experience”.
“He lived and died a hero. It’s impossible to explain how proud we are of him,” Houlston told reporters.
“Although he wasn’t with us very long, and we brought him into the world knowing there was no hope of a life for him, we are incredibly proud of his heroism,” Evans added.
“We hope Teddy’s story will inspire families who find themselves in the position of losing a child. Knowing part of your loved one is living on in someone else is comforting.”
While it is extremely rare for newborns to be considered as organ donors, a spokesperson for the UK’s NHS Blood and Transplant, described Teddy’s donation as “exceptional”.
“Every donation is inspirational. It is a selfless act of heroism,” he said. “But Teddy’s story is exceptional. He was the youngest organ donor in the UK.”
His kidneys have gone on to save a patient with renal failure.
