Book of hope aims to transform lives.

Byline: By Liz Hands

A mother who lost her only daughter in a motorbike accident has put together a "book of hope" to encourage people to sign-up as organ donors.

Zoe Cansdale, 22, died in 1998 after accepting a motorcycle ride from a friend.

The Northumbria University graphic design student had told her family that if anything ever happened to her she wanted doctors to "use all my spare parts to help people".

Because her parents could not be contacted in time to give their consent, only her heart valves and corneas could be used.

But despite that, 49-year-old Sue and Richard, 59, of The Baker's Chest, Hartburn, Morpeth, took huge comfort from the fact their daughter transformed the lives of a baby in Germany, a six-year-old girl from the Midlands, and a 25-year-old man.

The couple launched the Legacy of Life campaign alongside The Journal to push for presumed consent ( where donors have to opt-out, rather than into, a register.

Now Sue, who also has a son Jamie, 33, has put together the Legacy of Life book, to give donor and recipient families hope, and to encourage others to sign up to the register.

"We feature a little boy who was waiting for a transplant on our front cover," said Sue yesterday. "I called up his mum to ask how he was doing and found out he had died before an organ became available.

"I thought, that's the reason why I'm doing this."

Sue wants the book to be placed in hospitals and schools to help families and health professionals to deal with the experience of transplantation and to make students think about becoming donors.

"I defy anyone to read it and not be moved," she said.

Sue asked families to write to her with their stories and she visited transplant units in the region to talk to patients and medics about organ, tissue and cornea transplants, skin and bone grafts.

The idea came after Sue wrote a piece about Zoe for author Barry Stone's book Car Crazy before taking an MA in creative writing.

"You never get over someone's death," said Sue. "You just learn to live with it. It's awful and there's nothing good about it, but if they are able to help someone live a better life, then that is a great comfort over the years."

Sue and a team of fundraisers raised pounds 7,000 to publish the book and are giving it free to families, hospitals and schools who want it.

* Legacy of Life comes out on September 26. Anyone who wants a copy should write to Sue at The Baker's Chest, Hartburn, Morpeth.