Guide dog pup named in tribute to sudden death Leeds organ donor

A GUIDE dog has been named in memory of a man whose organs gave the gift of life to nine people after his sudden death.

Mark Piotr, 49, collapsed after a spontaneous brain bleed last May after complaining of what he thought were a series of migraines.

Mr Piotr’s organs were been used in nine successful transplants.

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Mr Piotr and his wife Karen had raised £15,000 to sponsor three guide dogs and Karen wanted to sponsor a fourth as an lasting tribute.

Mark and Karen PiotrMark and Karen Piotr
Mark and Karen Piotr

She walked the Yorkshire Three Peaks to raised £5,000 for the association and have a guide dog puppy named after Mark.

Mrs Piotr, from Pudsey, met puppy Mark and guide puppy walker Peter Bratt at Newmillerdam Country Park in Wakefield.

Mrs Piotr said meeting Mark was a ”euphoric” moment, adding: “It is a very fitting tribute to my Mark and a wonderful legacy.”

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Charlotte Walton, of Guide Dogs West Yorkshire, said: “The £5,000 raised by Karen will fund the first year of the puppy’s life which is a crucial part of its journey to becoming a working guide dog.

“Naming a puppy after her husband is a wonderful and inspiring way to remember Mark who was a big supporter of Guide Dogs.”

Mark Piotr’s heart was donated to a teenage patient and his liver, kidneys and his pancreas helped four other patients. Both his eyes were used to help restore the sight of four people.

In a letter To Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Mrs Piotr wrote: “The wonderful gift of life that he has given to others is testament to his memory and something that will be with me forever.”

To join the NHS Organ Donor Register, go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk

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