The family of a Wellington woman who died suddenly have donated five organs, including her heart, which saved the life of a young girl.

Thanks to Emma Gleaves, a little girl has a heart that will keep on beating. A young woman has lungs that will keep her breathing. A man in his 20s has a liver to keep him alive, and two elderly men have been given new kidneys.

The 38-year-old Wellington woman died earlier this week after suffering a massive brain bleed at her partner's Horokiwi address.

While sitting beside her daughter's hospital bed, her mother Sue Williams and sister Sarah Williams decided Gleaves had one more gift to give.

KEVIN STENT/ FAIRFAIXNZ Sue, left, and Sarah Williams say Emma Gleaves' legacy will live on in the five people to whom she donated her organs.

They asked that the jewellery maker with a passion for gardening be put forward to donate her vital organs.

Just hours before, Gleaves had stood up to get a drink, turned to say something and fell to the floor. Her mother said she died before she hit the ground.

Her partner preformed CPR for 20 minutes to keep her breathing, but was unable to revive her.

She had previously been unwell after pinching her sciatic nerve but was showing signs of improvement when she died.

Her mother said Gleaves was a person who had touched many lives, she was always smiling and willing to help out.

She had recently decided to spruce up a piece of land that her mum owned, a project her family was planning to finish.

"She was just the most amazing painter, an absolute lover of the garden, and was enjoying redesigning my paddock," her mother said.

Sarah Williams said she knew her sister better than anyone. Although Gleaves was not a donor on her driver's licence, they had both agreed to give up their organs if "anything bad happened".

Once a series of tests confirmed Gleaves was brain dead, a special team of surgeons flew downfrom Auckland to preform the surgery. She had been alive only hours before.

Williams said she stayed with her daughter until it was time to be taken into theatre.

"When I said goodbye, I said, 'You can go now. You have been awesome, you have been amazing'," she said.

"I made sure her sister had time to get on the bed and give her big sister a cuddle. I got my brother and sister-in-law in the UK on the phone so my brother could say goodbye to his niece.

"There was not a dry eye in the room."

The following day she received a call to say her daughter's organs were removed successfully and had already been donated to their recipients.

The hospital staff had kept their promise to Williams and held Gleaves' hand throughout the operation.

Her lungs were gifted to a young woman, her liver to a young man, and her kidneys to two elderly gentlemen.

Her heart went to a girl under the age of 10.

"This is giving other families a chance to have their daughter and go through all the joys and pains that I have gone through with Emma. For that little girl to be able to spend time with her friends and parents, to love, be loved and enjoy life means a lot."

"All of the other people that got a part of Emma are also so important. Emma's green fingers are going to live on and cultivate other peoples gardens," she said smiling.

It is unlikely Gleaves' family will ever meet the people she saved. Organ Donation New Zealand has a strict protocol around donors meeting the recipient's families.

Donor Co-ordinator Janice Langlands said this is to help each of group come to terms with the situation.

"It is very overwhelming for the recipient, this is their only chance of survival. It can be very mixed emotions, they can be overjoyed, but know there is sadness as it's the worst day of somebody's life."

Williams said she didn't mind not meeting the recipients because she knew five people were alive because of her daughter's gift.

"I think the hospital staff are hero's. But, of course, the biggest hero of all is my Emma."

Organ Donation in New Zealand

According to Organ Donation New Zealand about one person a week donates their organs.

A person can not be a donor unless they are ventilated in hospital with a non-survivable brain injury,, because the organs need a blood supply up until the point they are surgically removed.

This means most people will never be able to donate their organs, even if it was their wish.

The final decision for organ donation lies with the person's family.

If someone dies outside of hospital other tissue can be used, usually from the eye or skin.



Because there are less child donors, often recipients who are young receive an adult heart. This can usually work as long as their body weight is similar.