Parents publish diaries of organ donor girl, 13

Jemima Layzell collapsed suddenly at home in Horton in Somerset and later died in hospital having suffered a massive bleed on her brain in March last year.

She had previously expressed a wish for her organs to be donated and they were used to save the lives of eight others, as well as the sight of three people.

After her death, Jemima’s parents Harvey, 44, and Sophy Layzell, 39, discovered her private diaries, which she started writing aged four, in her bedside cabinet.

Jemima had dreamed of becoming a writer when she grew up, so her parents decided to try to publish the diaries. Her writing has now been made into a book, called The Draft, which has attracted praise from children’s authors Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo.

Mr Layzell said the family wanted to raise awareness of organ donation through the book. He said: “We are exceedingly proud seeing Jemima’s own words in print especially as most of it has never been read during her lifetime. Sharing her private thoughts could be thought of as quite invasive but we decided to publish Jemima’s diaries not just because she was so talented but also to raise awareness of such things as hearing voices.”