Mum proud of son whose organs helped six strangers

The very last text message Rob Riley sent his mum contained just four words, short and urgent: "Mum, I need help."

Gerry had only briefly popped out of their home in Leicestershire but when she returned minutes later, she found Rob struggling to breathe. An otherwise ordinary day had suddenly taken a devastating turn.

The 21-year-old had suffered a severe asthma attack, his lungs stopped working and he went into cardiac arrest.

Now his mother Gerry Riley is urging families to talk openly about organ donation after Rob's organs helped six strangers receive life-changing transplants.

Gerry recalled: "Rob was diagnosed with asthma when he was about two years old and had been using an inhaler for years. Until that day, he'd never been hospitalised because of asthma. It was well-managed.

"I was used to hearing Rob cough all the time."

But when she returned home to Diseworth after receiving his text message, this time was different.

"He was really struggling to breathe. I'd never seen anything like it before. It was bad," she said.

Gerry called 999 and attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), carrying out chest compressions while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

"He'd collapsed in his chair, so I dragged him on to the floor and started chest compressions, making sure his airway was clear," she said.

"It seemed like forever."

Ambulance crews eventually managed to restart his heart.

Rob was taken from Leicestershire to the intensive care unit at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre, home to the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre.

His mother feared the worst.

"He'd been unconscious for too long. I knew it was bad," she said.

"Nobody gave us any false hope. He was ventilated and the next day the consultant explained he would remain in an induced coma because he was too fragile to breathe on his own."

Gerry said a brain scan later confirmed there was no chance of recovery.

"He had the worst possible damage," she added.

She raised the subject of organ donation before the medical team did.

Gerry said agreeing to organ donation was never in doubt. She had discussed it with her son before.

"I knew exactly what Rob's wishes would be," she added.

"I felt it would bring some hope to other people and that a bit of Rob would still be alive somewhere."

For the transplant team at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, specialist organ donor nurse Skye Irvine-Berry remembers how clear Gerry was about her son's wishes.

"She made our job really easy that day because she knew exactly what Rob wanted," she said.

"We knew immediately how we could support that family.

"Rob is an absolute superstar. His organs went on to help six people, which is phenomenal. It's life-changing and amazing."

His heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas were among the organs donated and transplanted with five adults and a child benefiting.

Eye tissue was also donated, which can be stored for later use. NHS Blood and Transplant is expected provide updates to Gerry on any more recipients.

Gerry is concerned that opportunities for organ donation are being missed because families do not know their loved one's wishes.

And NHS Blood and Transplant, which co-ordinates organ donation in the UK, is worried record numbers of people are waiting for an organ transplant.

It previously announced an urgent response plan, to address a significant decline in organ donation and transplantation across the UK.

As of Friday, 8,807 people were waiting for a transplant with organs becoming available from both deceased and living donors.

England operates an opt-out organ donation system, meaning adults are presumed willing to donate their organs unless they have registered a decision not to. Families are still consulted before any donation takes place.

But relatives can face the agonising decision of whether to support organ donation on a day that may have started like any other, before being transformed by a major incident such as a serious road crash or a brain haemorrhage.

Latest figures from NHS Blood and Transplant reveal that in 2025-26, 53% of families consented to organ donation going ahead in the UK.

During the same period, 448 people died while waiting for a transplant from a deceased donor. There were 3,643 transplants from 1,428 deceased donors, with another 1,023 from living donors.

Irvine-Berry stressed the importance of having a conversation.

"When relatives don't know what their loved one would have wanted, they tend to err on the side of saying no," she said.

"That's why we're encouraging families to have those conversations before a crisis happens.

"Please let your loved ones know what your decision is. I think it's important people talk about what they would want at the end of life, including organ donation, so that if they are ever in the those circumstances, their loved ones know their wishes.

"We know that in 90% of cases where families know their loved one's decision, they say yes to organ donation."

Gerry endorses that message.

"Have that conversation," she said. "Make sure those closest to you know your wishes, even if you have joined the Organ Donor Register.

"Ask yourself one question. If you needed an organ transplant, would you accept an organ from a stranger?

"If the answer is yes, and you found yourself in circumstances where organ donation was possible, would you be willing to donate your own organs to help somebody else?"

The loss of Rob remains heartbreaking for Gerry, but knowing six people have been helped brings some comfort

She added: "I'm very proud of Rob. Even at the worst moment of our lives, something positive came out of it. Knowing he helped six people means his legacy lives on."

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