Rosemary Cox's life’s work in setting up the first organ donor register was honoured with a very special surprise when, met by Alan Titchmarsh in a garden where she was walking, she discovered that everyone else around her had been saved by her feat.
The 82-year-old began campaigning for a national register of donors’ wishes after her 24-year-old son Peter died following a brain tumour in 1989.
Because of his request for his organs to be used to help others, he saved 17 people.
Vera Davison, the wife of one of them with whom she became best friends, was in the audience to see her get her award.
On stage, Rosemary humbly claimed that “anyone would have done” what she did, and said of the surprise from the Mirror’s gardening guru: “Alan is very charming, it was wonderful.”
She was joined onstage by her daughter Christine, who said that her mother’s legacy is “the ultimate in recycling. I’m incredibly proud of Mum.”
Rosemany, from Wolverhampton, was given her Lifetime Achievement award by actress Joanna Lumley, who told her: “You’re a completely inspirational woman.”
Afterwards, Joanna said she got her organ donor card as soon as she heard about it.
She said: “Rosemary was tireless, before the days of social media she kept going to push this through. And she has changed countless lives, not only in the past but in the future.”
Rosemary said getting the award from Joanna was “the icing on the cake”.
