Wedding couple invite mother of young donor
4:42pm Saturday 24th June 2006 in News By David Thomson
A MAN whose life was saved with the donated organs of a teenager who died in a road accident invited her mother to his wedding as a special guest.
Johnathan Lancaster, from Bolton, was given the gift of life by 13-year-old Amber Lok, receiving her kidney and pancreas.
He was one of five people to receive organs from Amber and was so grateful that he invited her mum Dionne Sheen to his wedding to fiancee Claire Webster.
The pair had been due to get married four years ago but the wedding was cancelled due to Johnathan's illness.
Amber who had told her mother at the age of 10 that she wanted her organs to be donated should she die was killed by a car outside her home in Langley Road South, Agecroft.
His operation took place a few days after Amber's death in January last year.
Now fully fit, he was able to get married. The pair tied the knot at Breightmet Methodist Church in Bolton.
He did not think twice about inviting Dionne who said: "I got goose bumps, but I felt like my heart would explode with pride. My Amber gave Johnathan the chance of living a more fulfilled life.
"The church was packed with people rejoicing, and if it hadn't been for Amber it would not have been happening."
Mr Sheen, aged 32, and his 28-year-old fiance made contact with Dionne via a transplant co-ordinator and sent her flowers at Christmas last year.
Dionne said: "That was the first Christmas without Amber.
"When Johnathan and Claire sent me the flowers that was when it hit me. I realised five families were celebrating thanks to Amber. There was only one family grieving, but it could have been six.
"It was a tremendous help to our family to know that.
"Later I received an invite to the their wedding.
"I felt proud they had asked me. It was a lovely thing for them to do.
"When we met for the first time at the wedding, I thanked Johnathan for inviting me. It was quite emotional."
Johnathan, who has had diabetes since the age of 14 and is registered blind due to kidney failure no longer needs daily insulin injections nor dialysis.
He said: "Claire and myself talked about meeting Dionne for several months. Her presence at the wedding helped to make our day.
"For a 10-year-old to decide she wants to donate her organs, it shows maturity, and has to be commended."
Mr Sheen discovered Amber was the donor when he was recovering from his transplant in Manchester Royal Infirmary.
A fellow patient asked if he had seen a story about Amber story in a regional newspaper and Mr Sheen asked the transplant co-ordinator whether he had received her organs. He was told that he had.
The other four people whose lives were changed because of Amber were an 18-month-old baby, who received two heart valves; a 15-year-old boy who received her liver; a 15-year-old girl who was given a kidney; and a two-year-old girl donated heart valves.
