Mum Dawn Letham said she unexpectedly lost her son Mark Thorley when he was just 34 years old, but shared what happened when a woman visited them in hospital
Dawn Letham shared what happened after she lost her son Mark Thorley(Image: Dawn Letham/MEN)
A heartbroken mum revealed her son died after a normal day at work but said something completely unexpected happened after.
Mark Thorley tragically died aged just 34 after a devastating seizure led to a series of cardiac arrests, in the summer of 2025. The young man, an award-winning artist and JD Williams staff member, had been at work before he was rushed to Tameside Hospital, in Greater Manchester. Mark suffered from epilepsy but doctors later told the heartbroken mum her son’s brain had been without oxygen for an hour over the course of two cardiac arrests – leading to extensive brain damage.
While mum Dawn Letham started to say goodbye to her son, an unexpected woman entered the hospital room.
Mark died after seizures led to cardiac arrests(Image: Dawn Letham/MEN)
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Dawn, from Tameside, said: “The paramedics worked on him for half an hour and brought him back. He then had another cardiac arrest in the ambulance, they worked on him for another half an hour and brought him back again.”
She added: “I don’t think anyone can be quite prepared for seeing your child laid down in a bed, ventilated, with so many machines and all the noises around him.” The mum said a scan showed Mark had suffered catastrophic brain damage, according to Manchester Evening News.
Mark was on the organ donor list(Image: Dawn Letham/MEN)
Dawn explained a woman from the organ donation team then entered the room because Mark was on the organ donor list, adding: “She explained that even if someone is on the list, family permission is still needed. We’re both registered, so we said ‘absolutely, 100 per cent’ about Mark.”
As arrangements were made over the following days, the organ donation team began identifying recipients for Mark’s organs. They were told that, in a day or two, Mark would be taken to an anaesthesia room of an operating theatre, where the organ donation would begin, so the family started saying their goodbyes.
Mark was rushed to Tameside Hospital when he became sick at work(Image: MEN Media)
The mum said: “And as we walked out towards the theatre, we were met with a guard of honour by the staff, all of their heads bowed… I’ll never forget that. It was heartbreaking but I was so proud, just beaming. We were able to have his favourite music playing in the anaesthesia room.” She added: “I’m still so grateful for the respect and dignity they gave us and Mark.”
Dawn revealed a few days after her son’s death she received an “incredible” letter from the organ donation team, saying five people received life-saving transplants because of Mark. It said: “Thanks to Mark’s gift of organ donation, a gentleman in his forties was fortunate to receive a kidney and a pancreas transplant, he had been on the transplant waiting list for three years.
Mark’s organ donation helped five people(Image: PA)
“A gentleman in his twenties also received a kidney transplant, he had been on the waiting list for over four years. Mark also kindly donated his liver, a gentleman in his thirties received the truly lifesaving gift of a liver transplant, he had been on the transplant waiting list for over one year.
“A lady in her fifties after a wait of just five days received the precious and rare gift of a heart transplant. Finally, thanks to Mark’s donation, a lady in her fifties received a double lung transplant.”
Dawn shared the comfort that letter gave her while she was grieving, and said: “When we got the letter, we just cried. We read it again and just thought ‘is this true?’ What he’s done is given life to other people. It’s an immense pride.”
She added: “The respect given by the organ donation team is off the scale. Since then, some of Mark’s friends, some work colleagues, have told me that they’ve sat down with their families and had the conversation about donating their organs. That’s Mark’s legacy.”