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Deal mum encourages people to join donor register after card from woman who has her son's kidney

By: Eleanor Perkins

Published: 00:00, 25 January 2017

Updated: 12:04, 25 January 2017

The mother of a teenage cyclist killed in a collision has spoken out about receiving a card of thanks from the woman who received her son’s kidney.

Daniel Squire, a former St Edmund’s Catholic School pupil who lived in Reach Road, St Margaret’s, died in September 2013.

He was cycling along the A258 at Ringwould when he was struck by a van.

Daniel Squire died after being knocked off his bike at Ringwould in 2013

In the depths of their grief, his parents Tracy and Symon Squire made the difficult decision to donate their 18-year old son’s organs to improve the lives of others.

Daniel’s kidneys, heart and part of his liver have since been passed on to four different people.

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On Saturday morning, Mrs Squire received a card from the recipient of one of Daniel’s kidneys.

It read: “It’s been three years and I thank you every day. You gave others hope in your darkest hour. All is going well. x”

Mrs Squire said: “It threw me.

“She said ‘you gave me a wonderful gift in your darkest hour’ which it really is for anyone who has to go through it.

“When you get a letter like that it’s nice but it still hurts. It brings it right to the forefront of your mind.

“But it’s nice to know he’s alive through someone else.”

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Tracy Squire received this card from the woman who received her son's kidney

Mr and Mrs Squire made the decision when they were told Daniel wasn’t going to survive.

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Many members of their family have since joined the donor register and they would encourage others to do the same.

Mrs Squire said: “I knew my son and I knew what kind of person he was.

“I knew that this was the right thing for him and for us as a family.

“We decided to give somebody else the chance of life, that he so sadly lost.

“If there’s a chance that someone can have that second chance of life, they should be given it.”

In March 2015, Philip Sinden, who was driving a Vauxhall Vivaro, was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving and the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving.

The trial focused on whether he was texting in the minutes before impact and he admitted texting earlier in his journey.

Mrs Squire continues to campaign against mobile phone use while driving.

Tracy Squire in Romex app video to stop people texting and driving

She said: “Please, please just stop.

“Just put your phone away until you’ve pulled over.

“Please don’t be that person who makes another family suffer like mine are suffering. It’s just not fair.

“Daniel was just an innocent person riding his bike. He wasn’t a dangerous cyclist.

“It could have been prevented.”

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