A TAMESIDE family who lost their son after he saved five lives through organ donation have raised a further £3,500 towards a new memorial garden for families of critically ill patients.
Mark Thorley’s mum, Dawn Letham, organised a community fire engine wash at Offerton Fire Station last weekend with support from family and friends.
It was to raise money to thank Tameside Hospital’s Critical Care Unit team who cared for him and to help create a dedicated space for families during some of their most difficult moments.
The planned memorial garden will provide a quiet area where relatives can reflect, make important phone calls and spend time together away from the pressures of the hospital environment.
Mark died in September last year after being admitted to the unit having suffered two cardiac arrests, brought on by a seizure.
Dawn said: “If there had been a space like a memorial garden where we could have sat, reflected and made those difficult phone calls, it would have meant so much. I hope this fundraising will help create that space for other families.”
The latest fundraiser brings the family’s total raised to more than £13,000 as they work towards their £30,000 target before what would have been Mark’s 35th birthday on August 13 – a date which also marks World Organ Donation Day.
The family hopes the garden will become a lasting tribute while supporting others who find themselves facing similar circumstances.
Donations towards the Critical Care Unit memorial garden can be made through Tameside and Glossop NHS Charity via JustGiving here: https://justgiving.com/page/memorialgarden-mark.