Theo Kempthorne died suddenly aged eight – but his organs helped other critically ill people including another child and a father in his 30s
The mother of a little boy who saved four lives by donating his organs has called on families to discuss organ donation.
Theo Kempthorne died suddenly in 2024 aged eight after suffering severe brain damage, but his organs helped other critically ill people, including another child and a father in his 30s. Theo’s mother, Gemma, approached medics about organ donation after reading a news article on the impact of lifesaving transplants.
Gemma, 34, said: “If an organ could have been donated to save Theo, then I wouldn’t have even thought about it, I would have said yes. But because it was his brain, that was never going to be an option.
“People don’t want to think about it, until it happens… and unless you’ve thought about it beforehand, it’s just easier to say no.”
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The Mirror successfully campaigned for years to change the law on organ donation to “deemed consent” and continues to raise awareness of the importance of making your wishes clear to loved ones if the worst happens. Grieving relatives can still veto donation in the crucial moments around the time of death.
Gemma, from Wadebridge in Cornwall, was told Theo had hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the brain, when she was 20 weeks pregnant with him. He was born “healthier than expected” and had a shunt fitted in his brain when he was a baby to drain the excess fluid.
When Theo was eight the shunt malfunctioned, leaving him with brain damage. Gemma said: “The neurosurgeons told me that he had an unsurvivable condition. I kind of knew – I had that intuition that he was gone. I instantly just asked about organ donation. I think they were a bit taken by surprise, but I told them I’d already had that conversation with myself when I was pregnant with him about what I would do.”
Theo’s heart saved another child, while his kidneys, pancreas and liver were donated to three patients in their 30s, one of whom was a father.
When pregnant with Theo, Gemma says she read an article about a baby needing a transplant and another who had become an organ donor. She said: “I’d been having conversations about resuscitation and things like that if Theo was born really poorly.
“I’d seen an article about a baby needing a transplant, and it made me think, if Theo wasn’t going to survive, what I would do. Fortunately, Theo was born healthier than expected, and I didn’t have to think about it for eight years at all. It wasn’t until that day that I had to think about it again.
“I’d give anything to have Theo back, but he’s left that legacy behind and been able to help other families not have to lose someone and given them their life back. I wish well to the people he donated to, and I hope their transplants have been successful. It’s bittersweet for me that I’ve had to lose Theo – nothing’s going to take that pain away – but a part of him is living on.”
Gemma is now urging adults to sign the organ donation register every three years to reassure their relatives they are certain of their decision. She said: “Young children can’t make that decision for themselves, but for adults, it’s really easy to sign the register because you know what you want.
“There isn’t that much time when it happens and no one wants to make the wrong decision. I think organ donation needs to be spoken about more in general.”
Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are most grateful to Gemma for sharing hers and Theo’s story. At the most difficult time, Gemma knew that she wanted Theo to be able to help others. Her decision was prompted by a news article like this one, which meant that, although Theo couldn’t be saved, four other lives were, including another child’s.
“Reading this article might prompt you to consider becoming an organ donor, and the best way to record your decision is to sign the organ donor register. That way, your family will have no doubt about your wishes. Considering your decision now could make a decision on the hardest day of your family’s lives so much easier, should the worst happen.”
