WHEN Zoe Greenhalgh died at the heartbreakingly young age of 25, her husband Chris pledged to continue her work for organ donation.
His vow has helped boost registration of potential donors by almost 11,000, and has helped Chris cope with his own grief.
Zoe captured the hearts of the public as she was dying from brain cancer. She agreed to let her picture be used after her death for a national campaign to promote organ donation.
When she was very ill, Zoe held a party for her family and friends, and insisted that everyone wear orange, her favourite colour. Her funeral was a remarkable combination of joy and sadness for all those who had been privileged to know her.
After she went public with her illness to help organ donation, hundred of local people registered, boosting local figures to an all-time high.
And since, both Chris, Zoe's parents John and Jacky Corlett, sister Vicky, relatives and friends have raised large amounts of money to help organ donation and to keep the campaign high-profile.
"They have been fantastic, but we have all wanted to continue what Zoe started," explained Chris at home in Ashworth Lane, Astley Bridge.
Chris has found great solace in his work teaching sport and leisure at Bolton Community College. "I try to get the message on organ donation across there, too," he added.
Sometimes, though, he is overwhelmed by the past. Chris said: "We've got lots of pictures and scrapbooks and sometimes we'll be looking through them and there's a photo that reminds me of a special time, or a condolence card, and it all comes back."
The couple's four-and-a-half-year-old son, Alex, is a constant, welcome reminder of Zoe. He shares his mum's love of life and adventure, and looks uncannily like her when a cheeky grin breaks out across his face.
Chris shows me a picture of his son taken in the school uniform he will wear for the first time in a few weeks: "It's really scary - he looks so like Zoe, and so grown up."
Alex will go to his dad's old school, The Oaks, nearby. It was what both Chris and Zoe wanted, and it is why they moved into the area.
"Yes, it was hard when we went to look round the school," said Chris. "Zoe and I had talked about it so often, and she should have been there with me."
Chris is still only 33 - could he ever envisage someone else in his life? "I don't know about the future, but that doesn't come into it for now. Alex takes up all my time," he said, looking fondly at his son.
"We often talk about Zoe, and I know that Alex still speaks to the star named after her. When a relative's dog died recently, he wasn't upset because he said it would be up in the sky with mummy.
"I do worry about him when he goes to school and when the other kids talk about their mothers, what will he say?
"But he knows that she was very brave, and he knows that he can be proud of what she has done for other people. So, I think he'll be all right."
To find out more about organ donation log on to www.uktransplant.org.uk or to register contact the registration line on 0800 6060400. As of today's date 5,872 people nationally are waiting for transplants.
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