An Edinburgh chef who was tragically killed in a motorbike accident has been described as a "total superstar" by his loved ones.
Celebrity chef Tony Singh has paid tribute to his friend, Ben Dodson, who died in 2017, by signing up to the organ donor register as part of NHS Golden Jubilee's support for organ and tissue donor week.
A well known Edinburgh chef, Ben had passed away at the age of 31 following the devastating accident, but had gone on to donate his organs after carrying a donor card since the age of seven.
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With his entire family now signed up on the register, Mr Dodson's mother, Kari, said Ben had been in intensive care for six days before they were given the heartbreaking news that there was "no hope of recovery", reports the Record.
She said: "Ben had carried the organ donor card since he was seven and we absolutely wanted to honour his wishes because we always knew what his wishes were.
"We had gone to the GP surgery and he saw this box of cards and wanted to know what they were for so I explained it to him and he said, 'right, can I have one of those mum?', and that was it! We filled in the form and he carried the card with him ever since. All his life.
"Immediately we all started talking about organ donation once we knew Ben wasn't going to survive. It's not an easy conversation to have because you know he's going to die, but it was easy in the respect that we knew exactly what his wishes were. Ben made that decision for us.
"Our whole family is on the organ donation register, we all support it." Mr Singh, who worked with Mr Dodson, said he was a "total superstar".
"He was quick to smile and make others laugh, a real force behind the bar. It was a great privilege to have him on my team. When he died, we were absolutely devastated. He was so young and taken far too early yet he still managed to give life to others.
"That's why I believe organ donation is so important. Even in the darkest of times, life can still be preserved."The compassion Ben had at seven to decide to be a donor and the strength his family shared in honouring his wishes when he was no longer with us is truly amazing." NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank is home to Scotland's only heart transplantation unit, which collaborates with the NHS Blood and Transplant service.
As the annual campaign draws to a close this weekend, Mr Singh urged people to sign up to the organ donation register to ensure families know whether they would like to donate their organs.
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