Anna Bates, a solicitor from Cardiff, has described Fraser’s organ as “a magic heart” as, without it, 10-year-old Roman, born with a serious disease, may no longer be alive
A mum poses with the little boy whose still alive thanks to her son’s “magic heart”.
Roman received Fraser Bates’ heart after Roman and his dad, Stuart, were fatally hit by a careless driver who had left a Christmas party. Anna had made the heartbreaking decision to donate Fraser’s organs just hours after being told he would not survive his injuries.
And now it continues to keep Roman, 10, alive, a feat Anna says is “just phenomenal”. Roman was born severe newborn dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious heart disease, and medics feared he was going to die had he not received an organ.
Anna, 48, met Roman again over Christmas and embraced the youngster with a warm hug. The solicitor, from Cardiff, said: “It is just phenomenal that my son, Fraser, had made such a huge difference through his organs being donated, and it proves ‘the heart really can go on.’
“I’ve got a really close bond with Roman’s mum. We have just got this magic heart that joins us and for him to be there with what I call Roman’s heart… and he carries on with that joy and he battles so hard.”
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Fraser’s heart was transplanted 10 years ago, shortly after Roman’s birth, following the crash in Talbot Green, south Wales, where Fraser and 43-year-old Stuart were pronounced dead. Driver Joshua Staples, 22, admitted two counts of causing death by careless driving without due care and attention and was jailed for 16 months.
Roman’s mum Zoe described the agonising 10-month wait for a heart transplant, and the “emotional rollercoaster” as the family did not think it would happen right up until they received the call.
Mum-of-two Anna, who founded a charity in Fraser’s memory, said the loss of her husband and son was “everyone’s worst nightmare” and it “still doesn’t feel real 10 years on”.
“One moment you have got your lovely family of four and then the next moment you are being asked these questions about organ donation,” she said.
“It’s a difficult and taboo subject because we don’t want to think about it, but its so important. Children like Roman have been saved because of it and we need to save a lot more.”
Anna said children tended to see organ donation as “a gift of life”, in her experience, whereas adults possibly avoided talking about it as they associated it with death.
Wales was the first UK nation to adopt the “soft” opt-out legislation on December 1, 2015, which presumes a person’s consent to donate their organs when they die, unless they or their family have indicated otherwise.
The organ donor consent rate increased by about 15 per cent during the first three years of the opt-out law, but has dropped to its lowest level in a decade last year.
Anna said she had not expected to be asked for her consent for organ donation as she thought the “soft” opt-out legislation meant this was not needed but families still need to give consent too.
“These conversations desperately need to be had,” Anna added.
