A couple whose newborn son died at eight days old made the rare decision to donate his organs, a move that took hospital staff by surprise. Valentina and Luigi Daprile, from south London, were told there was nothing more that could be done for their son Angelo Ray after an MRI scan showed no brain activity. He had suffered a lack of oxygen before his emergency caesarean birth.
Valentina described the moment doctors delivered the devastating news as feeling like her whole world was collapsing. Yet amid her grief, she and her husband decided that donating Angelo's organs could bring some meaning to the tragedy. 'We thought the only thing that would warm our hearts a little bit was to donate his organs,' she said.
The suggestion astonished staff at King's College Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. Nurse Amy Overend, who was present, said that in her five years there, no parent of a newborn had ever initiated a conversation about organ donation. The hospital's own donation team was initially unsure if it was possible due to the baby's size.
Blood tests confirmed Angelo Ray was a viable donor. His organs were successfully retrieved and transplanted, helping save the lives of other patients. According to NHS Blood and Transplant, only 40 babies under 28 days old have become organ donors in the past decade, with 14 donating organs.
The Daprile family, including their six-year-old son Leone, have since found comfort in knowing that Angelo's death served a purpose. Valentina hopes their story will encourage other parents to consider organ donation in similar circumstances.
