The parents of Orla Wates, who died on April 2 after a motorbike accident on the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam's northern Tuyen Quang Province, attended the ceremony organised by Viet Duc University Hospital on April 8.
Orla, 19, suffered severe internal injuries after falling from a motorbike and being hit by a truck. Her parents, Andy and Mic Mak Wates, chose to donate her organs to help critically ill Vietnamese patients in need of transplants.
Speaking at the event in Hanoi, Andy expressed gratitude to the medical team, saying the family took comfort in knowing their daughter could help others. He said the decision reflected Orla’s wishes and allowed her life to continue in Vietnam despite the tragedy.
The couple, who attended with their three other children, said they were able to meet transplant recipients and wished them success in their recovery.
Duong Duc Hung, director of Viet Duc University Hospital, said all patients who received the organs are recovering well. He described the family’s decision as a deeply humanitarian act that offered renewed hope to those with end stage organ failure.
“This choice is a truly noble one, offering life to others even in the face of profound loss,” Hung said, adding that the hospital would honour and care for the donated organs.
This is believed to be the first case of organ donation from a foreign citizen to a Vietnamese hospital. The transplants required urgent approval from the Ministry of Health due to time constraints.
Vietnamese Health Minister Dao Hong Lan also sent a letter thanking the family, saying the gesture carried special significance in strengthening solidarity and trust between Vietnam and the United Kingdom.
UK ambassador Iain Frew praised the hospital’s efforts and said the case symbolised both the strong bilateral relationship and a deeply personal connection between the Wates family and the Vietnamese patients whose lives were saved.
Authorities in Ha Giang province are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.