Abingdon mother-of-one Lori Smith was given the gift of life — by a toddler who died in his grandmother’s garden pond.

Sixteen-month-old Kailin Tucker died after an accident in Southampton last August.

After his death his mother Sasha took the brave decision to donate his organs — and within days, both his kidneys were working inside Mrs Smith.

In the past 12 months, 81 people from Oxfordshire every week have pledged to become organ donors because of the Oxford Mail’s transplant campaign.

Some 206,360 people across the county are now on the UK Organ Donor Register.

But Mrs Smith wants even more people to sign up and give what she received from Kailin — the gift of life.

Mrs Smith, 35, suffered kidney failure after drinking contaminated water in Tunisia seven years ago.

Her illness left her sick and exhausted and reliant on daily dialysis sessions to clean the toxins from her blood.

She said: “I was on dialysis for more than two years.

“Each night I would have peritoneal dialysis at home, but life and work were a struggle. My four-year-old daughter Keira thought all mummies put a dialysis tube in their tummies each night.”

But in August 2008, Mrs Smith got the call she was praying for.

She said: “When I realised I was talking to the transplant co-ordinator and what she was saying, I just started crying.

“When they told me I was to receive two kidneys I asked why, and they said they were coming from a child, which shocked me.

“I later found out the child had died tragically and while I should have been ecstatic about having a transplant, I felt very sad this child had died and struggled emotionally with what was happening.”

Kailin, 16 months, was found lying face down in his grandmother’s garden pond on July 30.

He was pronounced dead, but regained a pulse at Southampton General Hospital and spent three days unconscious in intensive care.

He died on August 2, 2008.

His mother Sasha, 20, decided to donate his organs for transplant within hours of his death.

Mrs Smith said: “When I learned about the circumstances of Kailin’s death I wrote a long letter to his mum, explaining what her decision had meant to my and my family’s life.

“Kailin’s kidneys are becoming stronger every day, but I am deeply protective of this precious gift, I cannot bear the thought of them being damaged.

“Kailin’s mum wanted her son to live on in some way and his kidneys have saved my life. As a tribute to him, I have had his name and birth date tattooed on my wrist — I had it put there so people would ask me about it and I could tell them about him.

“Soon I hope to meet Kailin’s mum and learn more about him.

“Her amazing gift has saved my life and it is wonderful to know so many Oxford Mail readers have also signed the Organ Donor Register in the past year to pledge their own organs.

“I feel glad my story may have encouraged people to do that and I know Kailin’s will too.

“I am a prime example of the huge difference a transplant can make to someone’s life and of the selfless courage and thought for others that Kailin’s mother showed in donating his organs.”

Lori Smith knows she is one of the lucky ones.

But up to eight people a year are still dying in Oxfordshire because of a shortage of organ donors.

And doctors warn there will be more deaths unless more organ donors come forward.

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust donor transplant co-ordinator Becky West said: “It is wonderful so many Oxford Mail readers have signed up to become organ donors, but we need even more.

“Many people in this county rely on dialysis to stay alive, but the longer you stay on dialysis, the more poorly you can become and many people are dying before they have a transplant.

“Transplants save lives, but by becoming an organ donor you are saving lives.

“The more people sign the register and tell their families about their wishes, the more lives we can save.”

dwaite@oxfordmail.co.uk Register online at oxfordmail.net/news/community/givingthegiftoflife/howtoregister/