Young Girl’s Touching Words to Doctor After Sister’s Death Lead to Life-Saving Law Change

A simple yet profound act of kindness by an 11-year-old girl has left a lasting impact on countless lives, leading to a change in the organ donation law in England. Katelyn Ball, at just 11 years old, made the brave decision to donate her sister Keira’s organs after the 9-year-old was fatally injured in a car accident.

Keira, a kind-hearted girl who loved nature and her horse, was kept alive by machines at Bristol Royal Hospital following the crash. In The Story of a Heart, Dr. Rachel Clarke recounts how Katelyn asked an intensive care doctor if her sister’s organs could be donated.

Dr. Sarah Goodwin, who was on duty, recalled being taken aback by Katelyn’s maturity. “Katelyn, who looks almost identical to Keira, said, ‘Can we donate her organs?’ I wasn’t expecting it, but I said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ Katelyn then turned to her father and said, ‘Dad, we’ve got to do this because it’s what she would have wanted.’”

This remarkable decision set off a chain of events that eventually led to a change in England’s organ donor law, thanks to a five-year campaign by The Mirror. Keira’s heart went on to save the life of Max Johnson, a young boy in desperate need of a heart transplant.

In 2020, Max himself insisted that Keira’s name be included in the new organ donation law, which now considers all people in England as potential donors unless they opt out. Dr. Clarke reflected on the courage of the Ball family and how their decision has inspired her writing.

“The spark for this book was reading your front pages,” she recalled, referencing The Mirror’s coverage of Max’s journey and the organ donation campaign. “Max became an icon of everything in organ transplantation.” The two families, the Balls, and the Johnsons met for the first time in 2018 when Keira’s parents listened to her heart beating in Max’s chest.

Dr. Clarke, who spent seven years researching and writing the book, dedicated it to Keira, whose “kindness and compassion endure to this day in the lives she is helping to save.” Keira’s legacy, along with Max’s continued advocacy, has brought hope to families and changed the future of organ donation in England.