In September last year, Alan and Kerry Williams had their teenage child Vicki cruelly taken from them. Vicki died at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol aged 18 on Friday, September 19, only seven days after being taken ill, of a blood clot in her neck which had moved to her brain.

But now three months on, Mr and Mrs Williams are taking comfort from the joy their precious daughter has given to five previously critically ill patients.

After Vicki's tragic death, her family were asked if the UK Transplant Service could carry out her last wishes to donate her organs, which they agreed to do.

A 30-year-old man received a lung transplant, another man in his 30s received a pancreas, a 47-year-old woman received a liver transplant, a man in his 40s and woman in her 30s both received a kidney.

All five transplant patients were expected to be home in time for Christmas and New Year.

Mrs Williams said: "For something good to come from her tragic death is comfort and solace to us at this time.

"We are proud that Vicki has helped someone, and hope that others would do the same for us."

Both she and Mr Williams have long carried organ donation cards themselves, and Vicki followed suit.

"I can still remember conversations I had with Vicki. I know her views were the same as ours," she said.

"We both felt that to bury or burn organs was a complete waste when they could be used to help others.

"I know if a member of my family desperately needed a transplant, how grateful I would be."

Clever, artistic and independent Vicki was just about to begin studying law at Exeter University's Falmouth campus when she was taken suddenly ill.

final, selfless gesture

Vicki, who grew up in Abbeydale in Gloucester and then moved with her family to Butterrow in Stroud, suffered a blood clot in her neck which moved into her brain.

She died in Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, and afterwards her family were gently asked if the UK Transplant Service could carry out her last wishes.

"Alan's and my views are the same. There was no conflict. We knew she had signed the register to donate organs," Mrs Williams said.

Her husband too approved of Vicki's final selfless gesture.

Mr Williams said: "I am proud of her. There was no pressure put on us whatsoever. It was all done very tastefully and we were kept informed at all stages."

He added: "Everything was done sympathetically."

Donor transplant co-ordinator Sally Holmes, from Southmead Hospital in Bristol, said the service was very grateful for Mr and Mrs Williams' decision to proceed with their daughter's last wish.

As well as the five people who had organs, others have benefited from Vicki's decision to hold a donor card.

"Two more people have had life-enhancing cornea transplants and there is still a possibility that Vicki's heart valves, which are stored, could be used in reconstructive surgery for two further patients," she said.

"Thank you to Alan and Kerry for their strength and courage at such a tragic time. We have 8,000 people waiting on the list in the UK and although we complete around 3,000 transplants a year, there are four or five people a year who die while waiting for transplants."