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His tiny body was only strong enough to cling to life for a matter of minutes, but little Teddy will always be a hero to his mum and dad.

Jess Evans and Mike Houlston knew their brave baby boy could never survive, but they were determined for his life to have a true meaning.

It was 12 weeks into her pregnancy when Jess was delivered the terrible news – one of the twins she was carrying was dreadfully ill.

Teddy’s condition was so severe that, at best, he would live for a day or two.

It was a heartbreaking hammer blow.

But as they battled to come to terms with the tragedy, Jess and Mike’s thoughts turned to helping others.

And despite their agony, they decided to explore whether there was any chance Teddy could become an organ donor.

(Image: Trinity Mirror)

On April 22 last year – a year ago – their beloved boy slipped away from the world, 100 minutes after he was born under the same hot, bright lights of the hospital’s delivery room.

Nothing could have prepared Jess and Mike for the deep sadness they both felt in that moment. Then something extraordinary happened.

Medics carried out pioneering surgery to donate Teddy’s kidneys and heart valves.

Three minutes after his death, he became Britain’s youngest ever organ donor .

He had saved an adult stranger’s life.

For Jess and Mike, his story is a source of pride, as they come to terms with their loss.

Mike, 30, said: “He lived and died a hero. It’s impossible to explain how proud we are of him.”

Jess, 28, added: “Although he wasn’t with us very long, and we brought him into the world knowing there was no hope of a life for him, we are incredibly proud of his heroism.

"We hope Teddy’s story will inspire families who find themselves in the position of losing a child.

"Knowing part of your loved one is living on in someone else is comforting.”

(Image: Trinity Mirror)

It is incredibly rare for new babies to be considered as donors and Dr Paul Murphy, of NHS Blood and Transplant, described Teddy’s gift of life as a “milestone moment”.

He said: “Every donation is inspirational. It is a selfless act of heroism.

“But Teddy’s story is exceptional. He was the youngest organ donor in the UK.”

Originally childhood sweethearts, Mike and Jess rekindled their relationship in their 20s, and quickly decided they wanted to share a life together – and start a family.

Jess, who has a three-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, found out she was pregnant days after the couple returned from Amsterdam, where they had become engaged.

She laughed: “The moment we found out we were having twins, we told everyone. We put our scan of the two little sacks on Facebook.”

Housing surveyor Mike grinned: “We couldn’t hold back.”

But their elation turned to sadness in the early weeks of pregnancy when they were told one of the babies was ill.

At first, it was not clear how serious his condition was.

(Image: Trinity Mirror)

Jess said: “They were all tiptoeing around what they were trying to say, and it got to the point where I said: ‘Listen, are you saying that one of the babies isn’t going to live?’.”

Teddy had anencephaly, a rare, fatal condition that prevents the normal development of the brain and the bones of the skull.

Almost all babies with anencephaly die before birth or within a few hours or days after birth.

His parents were told he would either be stillborn or die very shortly afterwards.

Jess described the moment she learned one of her sons would not survive as “soul destroying”.

She said: “I think the point when we actually accepted it was when we went for a 4D scan.

"We could see, in a very detailed picture on a TV screen, the fact that his skull hadn’t formed properly.”

Doctors offered the couple the option to abort Teddy many times, but this was never something they considered.

She said: “We thought that even if we had a moment with him, or 10 minutes, or an hour, that time was the most precious thing that we would ever experience.”

Jess and Mike continued with the pregnancy.

And they quickly decided that they wanted their baby to donate his organs, and hopefully help someone in need of a transplant.

Organ donation was something I’ve always felt quite strongly about ever since I was a child,” says Jess. They were determined his life would not be in vain.

(Image: Trinity Mirror)

Many newborns who die in hospital have the potential to be organ donors, and could save the lives of other seriously ill patients.

But, as Jess and Mike discovered, it is extremely unusual.

But the selfless pair fought tirelessly.

And finally, days before the twins were born, they were referred to a specialist nurse, who put a plan in place to make it possible.

The day after Easter Monday last year, Jess gave birth to Noah, and shortly after, Teddy.

It was a day of both heartbreak and hope.

Mike remembered: “The first time I saw him, I can remember thinking to myself: ‘He’s beautiful, he’s beautiful’. He had big hands.”

Teddy died aged 100 minutes, and had surgery to donate his kidneys – which measured 3.8cm – and his heart valves.

Kidneys fully function at around 37 weeks in the womb.

His kidneys saved the life of a patient with renal failure, who Mike and Jess have since exchanged letters with.

Jess said: “It helps us so much to know he has helped someone else and helped doctors realise donation from small babies is possible and is something people like us want to make happen.”

Britain’s previous youngest donor was a five-day-old baby girl, who was never publicly identified.

Teddy was named Teddy Noah Houlston, while his older brother is Noah Teddy Houlston.

On the anniversary, the family visited Teddy’s grave. And they have set up a Twitter profile in Teddy’s name.

They tweeted: “happy birthday to noah and teddy!! Brothers forever xxx”.

(Image: Trinity Mirror)

As well as saving a life, Teddy’s generosity has triggered changes to NHS policy , which may make it easier for babies who die early to donate.

Dr Murphy said: “These are magnificent achievements. But Teddy’s legacy must go far beyond this.”

More than 7,000 people are on the organ transplant waiting list in the UK. Three people die every day waiting for a donor.

The problem is not just that not enough people are signed up to the register.

It’s also that 40% of families refuse to allow donation to go ahead when asked, sometimes even when their loved one was registered.

Dr Murphy hopes Teddy’s story will spark “a revolution in public attitudes” and bring an end to this “senseless waste of life”.

He added: “In handing their baby over to the transplant team, Mike and Jess did so with love and hope and an absolute conviction that they were doing the right thing.

“In telling Teddy’s story, they demand that everyone, young and old, follows their example.”

The couple are keen to encourage anyone who isn’t on the NHS Organ Donor Register to sign up.

(Image: Trinity Mirror)

And they have begun fundraising for a charity, 2 Wish Upon a Star, which aims to improve bereavement services for parents who lose babies or children.

One year after that day, at the family home in Cardiff, Teddy’s three-year-old sister, Billie, clutched a teddy bear.

She pushed a button buried in its fur, and suddenly, a beat echoed around the living room. It was a human heart beating.

But it was not just anyone’s heart beating. It was her brother Teddy’s, recorded when Jess was pregnant.

Teddy remains a big part of the family’s life today, and Noah and Billie are encouraged to think about their little brother whenever they can.

“What happened after he died?”

Mike asked his stepdaughter Billie. “Where did he go?” added Jess.

Billie doesn’t need any time to think about her answer. “Heaven,” she says, smiling. “Playing football.”

Jess Evans and Mike Houlston are raising money for a charity, 2 Wish Upon a Star, which aims to improve bereavement services for parents who lose babies or children justgiving.com/teddysneverendingjourney/

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