Hand transplant recipient hugs donor's sister at emotional first meeting

When she first met her, she hugged her twin sisters, hugged her and held her hand.

“I can, I'll wave,” Colin Hutton said when he met Deborah Gosling.

Julie Wild's hands, pancreas, liver and both kidneys were all donated after his sudden cerebral hemorrhage in 2019, when he was 51 years old.

At an emotional meeting filmed in the film, Gosling said her sister accepted Ms Hutton, saying that she was “a beautiful hand” and “so proud.”

Ms. Hutton lost both hands in 2013 as a result of sepsis.

She said the donor's hand was found in 2019 and it said “all systems go” and got a call saying “it came out of the blue completely.”

“At that point, your thoughts are sent to the donor's family almost instantly. With the excitement of my family, we know what they are experiencing,” she said.

Wilde, the mother of two, worked at Sheffield Children's Hospital as a ph tax doctor, a healthcare worker who draws blood from patients for analysis.

She is described by her sister as a “soft and caring person” who did “everything” for her son.

“She's my best friend and I'm still lost without her,” said Gosling, a 57-year-old paramedic from Sheffield.

She said she took her sister to the hospital in January 2019 when she suddenly felt sick.

“I put her in my car and took her to the hospital, and she got worse and worse on my way to the hospital.

“The nurse and doctor came to the scene… She was unconscious from that point on. I knew I had lost my sister.”

She continued: “When a professional nurse came to see me about organ donation, it wasn't a difficult decision. I immediately said, 'No problem.'

“They also asked about donating their limbs and I was very surprised by it because I had never heard of it.

“But giving someone the opportunity to improve their own life is absolutely incredibly unbelievable. I didn't hesitate. Julie was someone else who did, but she didn't need them any more.”

Ms. Hatton, now 54 years old, is from Rockwinnock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and is now the sixth person to undergo a 12-hour operation to put on a new hand and undergo a double-handed implant in the UK.

Gosling said Ms. Hatton's recovery was a “source of pride” for her family.

She said: “I've always wanted to see Corinne, so I'm always in touch.

“It's hard to explain, but it's very comforting to know someone has her hand.

“When we met, I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

“Julie's organs saved her life, and her hands changed Corinne's life. I tell others – don't hesitate. What's better for your organs and limbs when you die?”

Ms. Hatton said:

“I was asked about the possibility of organ donation when I was in intensive care, so I felt that kind of empathy and connection.

“I knew it must have been a traumatic time for Julie’s family.

“For Deborah, I had hoped that holding hands and touching and seeing would give them light after otherwise dark circumstances.”

She added: “I wanted to know what Julie did with her hands. It turns out she drank white wine and sang karaoke.”

Ms. Hatton currently has about 95% functionality in her right hand, and about 75% in her left hand.

“The differences that the transplant made were absolutely life-changing,” she said.

“I am very grateful to Julie and her family. I am lucky and never forget where they came from, and hopefully I will give them a good life.”

Ms. Hatton became an advocate for organ donation and also founded a charity to find your feet to support families affected by amputations and lack of limbs.

NHS blood and transplants (NHSBT) can arrange meetings when both parties wish to meet.

Ms Gosling and Ms Hutton met at the Queen's Hotel in Leeds in 2019 and decided to share their stories to support the NHS Blood and Transplant Campaign, which now offers more people donating organs and tissues.

Authorities said the waiting list is the highest in a decade and there is a “urgent need” for more people to show their support through the NHS organ donor register.

Currently, there are 8,065 people on the port waiting list.

“We've seen an unprecedented trait,” said Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

“We have supported hand transplant programs for over 10 years.

“If there is a possibility of organ donation, the specialist organ donation nurse will also consider donating the arms and legs, and if there is a match with a particular patient, they will discuss it in a sensitive way with their family.

“A lot of families will take it seriously if they think that is what their family wanted.

“An emergency need for organ and tissue donations.

“Families have great comfort and pride to know that their loved ones are giving amazing gifts to those in need. We support donating to the NHS organ donor register and encourage people to communicate to families who want to donate.”