Publish date: 28 May 2026
Four organ donors at Tameside Hospital were honoured at a ceremony as their names were added to special memorial artwork.
The apple blossom tree wall art adorns the entrance corridor in the Trust’s Critical Care Unit and its petals display the names of those who have given the gift of life to others through organ and tissue donation.
It is a dedicated space for families and staff to remember and celebrate the generosity of those who are no longer with us.
Families of the four patients joined staff for the memorial ceremony last week.
One donor remembered at the ceremony was 34-year-old Mark Thorley from Tameside, who sadly died in September 2025 after suffering multiple cardiac arrests caused by a seizure.
As a registered organ donor, and his family were supported by the organ donation team at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust to honour his wishes. Following his death, Mark’s kidneys, pancreas, heart and lungs were all donated to five strangers in need of a transplant.
Upon placing Mark's petal on the apple blossom memorial tree, Mark’s mother, Dawn Letham said "We felt heartbroken, but extremely proud and comforted – knowing Mark had saved five lives.
"As an artist himself, Mark would have loved the artwork – and what it stands for, ‘giving the gift of life’. He would have loved the fact that this highlights organ donation.”
Mark’s family are sharing his story in the hope of supporting other patients and families at Tameside Hospital. His family, friends and colleagues have come together to raise funds for the Critical Care Unit through Tameside & Glossop NHS Charity, including support towards a proposed memorial garden for patients and families.
The fundraising page has already exceeded £10,000, making steady progress towards their goal of hitting £30,000 before Mark’s birthday on 13 August. This date also happens to be World Organ Donation Day, making it even more poignant for Mark’s family.
Charity Manager Emily Whelan said “We are very grateful for all the support shown by Mark’s family and friends for the Critical Care Unit after they took such good care of Mark in his final days.
“The money raised will hopefully help create a quiet and peaceful space for future critical care patients and their families to sit and reflect during tough times, or remember those who are no longer with us. The proposed idea of a memorial garden would be a fitting tribute to Mark, continuing his legacy of helping others.”
The family also want to encourage others to have open conversations with their loved ones about organ donation.
The law around organ donation changed in England in May 2020 and all adults are now considered as having agreed to donate their own organs when they die, unless they record a decision not to donate, are in one of the excluded groups, or have told their family that they don’t want to donate.
However, families will still always be consulted before the donation goes ahead. Each year, opportunities for transplants are missed because families aren't sure what to do.
The UK transplant waiting list has reached record levels with 8,200 people still waiting for a lifesaving transplant and, on average, more than three people a day died or became too ill for a transplant in the UK over the past decade.
"Our message has always been clear from the moment we lost Mark,” Dawn Letham said, “One life can be lost, but up to nine lives can be saved because of that one loss.
“The organ donation team really embraced us, literally held our hands, and explained everything at such a difficult time.
“So many people have said to us that they had no idea that families are asked permission, even though they are on the register. Hopefully through Mark’s story, we can get that message out, loud and clear.
“Two minutes is all it takes for families to sit together and discuss their wishes, register their wishes, and officially sign up."
By donating his organs, Mark saved five other lives. A man in his forties received one of Mark’s kidneys and his pancreas after three years on the waiting list, and a man in his twenties received the other kidney after over four years waiting.
Mark’s liver was donated to a man in his thirties who urgently needed a transplant after having been on the list for more than a year. A woman in her fifties, after just five days on the waiting list, received a precious and rare heart transplant, and another woman in her fifties received a double lung transplant thanks to Mark’s donation.
In addition, Mark was able to donate bone and tendons, providing hope and recovery for even more people.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Both Mark and his family, who supported his decision to be a donor, demonstrate the very best of humanity. Every single organ donor transforms the lives of people they don’t know, at the darkest of times for their own family.
“The impact of each organ donor is incredibly powerful, and their families are rightly proud of their legacy. Patients who have received a transplant say organ donors and their families are heroes.
“We hope hearing that Mark saved five lives will inspire everyone to confirm their decision to be an organ donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Then your family, who will always be involved in organ donation, will be certain that you want to be a donor and save lives.”
NHS Blood and Transplant urges everyone to confirm their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register to help save lives. Anyone can join the NHS Organ Donor Register; age and medical conditions are not necessarily a barrier to donation, especially for tissue donation.
One donor can save or transform up to nine lives through organ donation and save and transform many more by donating tissue.
It is quick and easy to register your donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Call 0300 123 23 23 or visit http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk.
Donations to support the Critical Care Unit’s memorial garden can be made via JustGiving at https://justgiving.com/page/memorialgarden-mark.
