Twenty lives could be saved by organs from tragic canoe victim

A CANOEIST who died after capsizing in a river on New Year’s Day could save the lives of up to 20 people by donating her organs.

Mother-of-one Kate Stainsby, 41, died last week, two days after she became trapped underwater while on a New Year’s Day canoe expedition.

Paul Simpson, 44, her partner of 16 years, said he feels some comfort in the fact Kate’s death will save lives and hopes one day to explain to their three-year-old daughter Hannah how brave her mother was.

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Ms Stainsby, of Malton, who had been canoeing since she was a child, was on a trip with fellow members of York Canoe Club when her canoe capsized and she became trapped underwater for 10 minutes.

Her friends, who are all experienced canoeists, battled to free her from the water and drag her to the side of Hobdale Beck, off the River Rawthey, near Sedbergh in Cumbria.

Police, ambulance and mountain rescue teams then worked together to pull her from the water at about 2pm on January 1.

The physiotherapy lecturer was flown by air ambulance to Royal Preston Hospital where she died two days later.

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Mr Simpson, an electrical manager, said: “If there’s anything positive to come from this, it is the fact that Kate was able to donate her organs.

“It is something she was passionate about. We both used to carry donor cards, but now it is much easier to register online.

“The organ donation team were fantastic and took a lock of Kate’s hair and did handprints for us.

“They’ve told me a 40-year-old man has already had her heart and she could help up to 20 different people.

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“I’m so grateful to Kate’s friends who were with her when she had the accident and the people that rescued her, if they hadn’t tried to save her she wouldn’t have been able to donate her organs.”

Mr Simpson was told about the accident when two policemen knocked on his door on New Year’s Day and has tried to explain what has happened to their daughter Hannah.

He said: “I think she understands Mummy is not coming home, but its very hard. I told her that her Mummy was broke and they couldn’t fix her. Her grandfather came round the other day and she was shouting ‘Mummy’.

“We are creating a ‘life book’ for her with photos and memories of Kate that she can look at when she’s older.”

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He added: “Kate’s love of life and adventure will be with us forever, her constant smile and ‘can-do’ attitude mean we now have a fantastic three-year-old who is always making us laugh with her joyful attitude to life.”

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