Boys Death Offers Life to Others

The mother of a boy killed in Waipu five years ago, is telling her son's story to try to lift New Zealand's low organ donation rate.

In November 2002, Zachary Hide died after being hit by a car and was buried six days short of his eigth birthday. He became one of a few to join 38 people who donated organs that year.

Tomorrow Zachary's family will mark the fifth anniversary of his death with a headstone unveiling at Maunu Cemetery that coincides with the launch of the Organ Donation NZ website, which features Zachary's story.

"I am so proud of Zachary. I love him dearly and he is with us every day. Telling his story is my way of honouring him and keeping him with me," said his mother, Lydia Wilkinson.

She and Zachary's father, David, made the decision to donate their son's organs, something she said her son would have wanted.

"About a month before Zachary's accident I had a conversation with him about the word donor on my driving licence. When the finer details were explained he said he thought it would be a very nice thing to do if you didn't need your body any more," said Lydia.

"When the organ donation co-ordinator asked me about it, I didn't hesitate. We knew it was our little boys choice and we would gift the parts of his body he had no use for any more."

Lydia said Zachary's organs saved three lives and prolonged the life of another. One kidney went to a 12-year old boy, the other to a middle-aged woman and his liver went to a six-month-old baby boy. They are still alive today. His heart was donated to a 18-month-old girl who died three years later, but Lydia said she was still glad Zachary had helped prolong her life. "When Zachary died we knew organ donation was the right thing to do. Over the years it has been fabulous to hear through letters how Zachary's gift changed lives."

Whangarei Northern Advocate