A MOTHER who made the difficult decision to donate her son’s organs after he died in a car crash will accept an award on his behalf.

Angelique Halliwell will accept the Order of St John Award for Organ Donation at the launch of an awards ceremony at St James’s Palace, London.

She will be accepting it on behalf of Michael who died tragically at the age of 36 in a car accident eight years ago.

Angelique, of Harrogate, said: “Something good had to come out of it because it was so horrific.

“It was a difficult decision to make. You make the decision, but you live with it. I hope organ donation will become a normal part of life eventually.”

After a meeting with Michael’s ex-wife, his two brothers and sister, the decision was made to donate Michael’s organs after he was left with severe brain injuries and failed brain tests following the crash.

The father-of-two’s organs saved the lives of five people including an RAF veteran and a mother of two children.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will present Angelique with the award on September 18.

She will also be accepting it for her work as a representative for donor families on the board of the Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant.

She said: “Organ donation is a gift of life to someone else and we have been working very hard in Harrogate so I feel that the award is something we are getting as a whole group.”

The award ceremony will become an annual event with recipients of the awards chosen by global healthcare charity the Order of St John.

A spokesman for the Order of St John said: “This award has been created for two purposes – to say thank you to families whose loved ones have already donated and to inspire more people to sign up to be an organ donor.”

To join the NHS Organ Donor Register visit organdonation.nhs.uk In 2010, The Press ran its Lifesavers campaign and encouraged more than 13,500 people in the region to join the Organ Donor Register.