WHEN Anne Mahoney died suddenly at the age of 67, her final act was to save the life of a young man she had never met.

For many years, the grandma-of-nine had been ‘adamant’ that she wanted to donate her organs to those in desperate need of a transplant after her death.

Anne, from Orford, arrived home from work one night in April 2016 and suffered a massive stroke and a bleed on the brain.

She was rushed to Warrington Hospital, but doctors were unable to save her.

But Anne’s family knew what her final wish would be.

Daughter Vicky, from Great Sankey, said: “Everything happened in the space of about four hours, from getting a phone call from my sister at 9pm to just after midnight when we knew she was really poorly.

“Mum had been adamant for years that she wanted to donate her organs.

“She was always of the opinion that she wouldn’t need it anymore, so they could take whatever they needed.”

In line with her wishes, Anne’s family took the decision to donate her tissues and organs.

Anne’s liver was successfully transplanted into a young stranger.

Vicky said: “I think we were lucky, because that dilemma of whether she wanted to donate her organs or not was taken away from us.

“She was so settled and peaceful - she just went to sleep and then she went and did what she did.

“We knew she’d gone and she wasn’t coming back, but it is a comfort to know she helped someone.”

Anne’s family and staff at Warrington Hospital are now urging members of the public to talk about organ donations with their families, ahead of the planned implementation of an ‘opt-out’ consent system in England.

Dr Andy Higgs, clinical lead for organ donation, said: “It’s an awful thing to happen, but it would have been even worse for Mrs Mahoney’s family if she hadn’t made her views very clear.

“In the UK, three people are dying every day for want of an organ transplant.

“You can’t say that anyone is lucky in circumstances like this, but Mrs Mahoney made it a lot easier for her family at what is an awful time.”

Vicky added: “We’re very proud of mum for what she did.

“It was a hard process to go through but you’re giving the ultimate gift - you’re giving somebody else their life.”