THE mum of a Horton teenager whose organs were used to save eight lives has weighed in on a new law that could save hundreds more lives.

The ‘Deemed Consent’ Bill, which would see people automatically ‘opted in’ to donating their organs, is expected to be rolled out by the Government in spring 2020.

The bill would give people the option to opt out if they did not wish to part with their organs after their death.

The changes will be known as Max’s Law after Max Johnson, a 10-year-old boy who was saved by a heart transplant.

Currently, would-be donors must indicate their intentions on the NHS Organ Donor Register, or grieving families must make the decision if a patient’s wish to donate is unknown.

While research shows that 82 per cent of people in England support organ donation, only 37 per cent have indicated so on the register.And less than half of families give consent for their loved one’s organs to be donated.

The proposed law aims to close this gap.

Jackie Doyle-Price, parliamentary under-secretary of state for mental health and Inequalities said: “Organ donation saves lives.

“We believe that by making these changes, we can save as many as 700 more lives every year.

“But organ donation remains a gift.

“I want to encourage people who wish to give life in the event of their death to take the time to record their wishes and discuss it with their family.

“However, we know this new system alone is not a magic bullet.

“We need to address myths and misconceptions around donation, and we will only do this by having informed debate and dialogue, which I hope will be fostered by these proposals.”

Mum of Jemima Layzell, a talented teen,13, who passed away in March 2012 after collapsing and dying of an aneurysm four days later, has conflicting views on the subject.

Sophy and Harvey Layzell sent up the Jemima Layzell Trust in order to raise awareness of organ donating after the death of their daughter.

Mrs Layzell, whose daughter has saved the lives of eight people by donating her organs, struggles with the concept. She believes donating should be seen as a gift - but thinks ultimately, it’s about saving lives.

She said: “How I feel about organ donation has shifted over time and I have been round and round about how I feel about opt-out.

“At first I was quite hesitant as my primary emotional reaction was that organ donation must remain a gift. Take away someone’s choice and the beauty behind the donation becomes lost.

“I am also anxious that the way opt out has been presented has caused confusion and that people have taken offence to it and that rather than the positive reaction we all wanted there has been a bit of a backlash.

“But despite all that, in the end it comes down to saving lives.

“The more people talk, the more people that opt in, then the more lives will be saved and that’s the bottom line.”

Mrs Layzell believes that encouraging children to talk about it at a young age will also increase understanding.

She added: “I personally feel it would be wonderful if organ donation was addressed in every single school as sex education is, as death is as much a part of life as birth is.

“Let’s encourage children to explore their feelings around organ donation from a young age as it’s such a huge and complex issue and how they feel may change and evolve.”

The legislation, which was introduced in Parliament in July 2017, will return to the House of Commons in the autumn.

Some 411 people in the UK died on the transplant waiting list in 2017.

Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “There is a desperate shortage of organ donors in the UK.

“Introducing an opt-out system in England will give hope to those currently waiting for a transplant they need.”