A man who received a life-saving transplant from a teenage boy has described his emotional first meeting with the boy's parents.
Martin Strang, 47, was born with congenital heart and spinal conditions and later suffered from complete kidney failure.
Stranger Toby Hart, 16, had been on dialysis for four years when he tragically died after falling off a cliff during a family holiday to Cornwall.
The teenager's parents honored his wishes to donate his organs, and his heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas were all donated.
Martin, who received Toby's kidney and pancreas, becomes close friends with Toby's parents, Sally and Graham, after meeting them for the first time.
Team GB Transplant Archery Champion Martin said: “I was so nervous and sat in the car for about 15 minutes in my Team GB kit beforehand thinking, 'What will I look like?'” They'll love me Is not it?
“But Toby's mother, Sally, put her arm around me and held me for about 10 minutes. It was a very emotional meeting.
“Now we're in constant contact via texts and Facebook messages. Sally says, 'We're family now,' which is so lovely.”
Sally, 53, who works at a knitting shop, added:
“What I love about Martin is that he has done so much since receiving the donation.
“I always think it’s really cool what Toby and Martin are doing together.
“It’s not just that Toby continues to live because of others, it’s that Martin has made the most of what he’s been given.
“Toby's death was not in vain. That's what really matters.”
Toby, from Warrington, died in July 2012 after falling 60ft from Cagworth Cove on Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula.
The tragedy occurred in July 2012, just five days before his 17th birthday.
Toby, who was on holiday with his parents and younger brother Stephen, had decided to become an organ donor two years ago.
His family decided to discuss the issue after his grandmother's death.
Sally explained: “He checked all the boxes for organ donation when he applied for his provisional driving license, and that was a big help when he passed away.
“We didn't even have to think about it. At the hospital, we were able to say, 'We want you to be an organ donor, so you don't have to ask.'
“There were a lot of decisions we had to make, including what color casket we wanted, but this was the easiest.”
Martin was born with several serious medical conditions and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a toddler.
As a result, he suffered from kidney failure and became dependent on dialysis to survive.
Mr Martin, an insurance broker, said before Toby's kidney transplant, he had no bones in his body for sports.
However, he soon decided to take up a new hobby.
Martin, who lives in Falkirk, Scotland, said: “I wanted to pay tribute to Toby and celebrate him getting his life back, but I just got interested in archery because it's a very inclusive sport.” explained.
By 2017 he was highly skilled and won medals at the British, European and World Transplant Games.
He had also been in contact with Sally and Graham through the Donor Family Network, a leading transplant charity. In May this year, Martin was on a trip from Scotland to join the British team when Toby's parents suddenly invited him to meet him.
He got off the highway and we met for coffee at a hotel near his home.
During the meeting, Martin realized that he shared many interests with the donor, including motorcycles and archery.
He said: “We found all sorts of amazing similarities. My first holiday after transplanting was to Lake Garda, which is where Toby spent his holidays.
“Shortly after the transplant, I bought a motorbike, but I didn’t know that Toby had bought a moped just before he passed away.
“So I said, 'Just out of curiosity, has Toby ever done archery?' They looked at each other and said he had taken a course when he was a kid. I thought, “This is really crazy.”
“It's amazing to receive a gift like this. But it's even more amazing to have so many coincidences with your donor.”
Martin wears an archery arm guard with Toby's name on it, and his quiver belt has the words “In honor of Toby, for the needs of many” inscribed on his quiver belt.
He was reunited with Sally and Graham at the Donor Family Network's annual service memorial service at the National Arboretum in Alrewas in September.
Ms Martin added: “During the summer I visited Toby's grave, put a leather arm guard there for him to watch over, and spoke to Toby for 30 minutes to thank him for what he had done for me.'' .
“I told my family, 'Toby is doing this, not me.' Every time I pick up my bow, I think of him.
“Information is being spread to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation and encourage people to communicate their wishes to their families.”
Nigel Barton runs the Donor Family Network, a charity that connects Martin and Toby's parents.
He said: “When recipient and donor families meet, it is a very emotional time and can be difficult for both parties.
“It is a reminder of the loss and can cause the recipient to feel survivor’s guilt.
“But in certain situations, these meetings can work very well.
“In the UK we don't like to talk about mortality rates, but it's very important.
“You need to talk to your family about organ donation.”
From spring 2020, all adults in the UK will be deemed to have consented to donating their organs unless they specifically opt out.
The new organ donation law, Max and Keira's Law, was passed after a mirror campaign.
Click here for information about organ donation and to share your wishes. here and here
