'My daughter's heart still beats in another little girl'

Amy Anderson talks to new about donating her daughter Mia’s organs, while Becci Westwood discusses her little girl Grace being the recipient of Mia’s heart

- Warren Manger

When Amy Anderson read about Grace Westwood’s life-saving heart transplant, she immediately felt she knew it was her daughter Mia Hicks who gave Grace the ultimate gift. Mia was 10 years old when she suffered a fatal asthma attack and cardiac arrest.

In their darkest moment, Amy and Mia’s dad Carl Hicks made an incredible decision – to donate her heart, liver, pancreas and kidneys to save the lives of people who urgently needed transplants. One year later, Amy met Grace for the first time and heard Mia’s heart beat in her chest.

Earlier this month, they met up again. Amy took her son Mason, nine. Grace, aged five, was joined by her mum Becci, 41, dad Darren, 40, and brother Josh, eight. Grace even gave Amy a special present to mark Mia’s 13th birthday – a bronze medal she won for cup stacking at the British Transplant Games.

Amy, 35, from Witham in Essex, says, “It was lovely to see how happy Grace and her family are thanks to Mia, after they waited so long and have been through so much. Watching Grace play and knowing that Mia’s heart went to a such a lovely little girl made it extra special.

“When I saw a news article about Grace a couple of months after the transplant, I just knew it was Mia who saved her. A few weeks later, we received a letter from Grace’s mum Becci. When she said they would like to meet, I broke down in tears because I wasn’t sure if that would ever happen.”

Mia was diagnosed with asthma when she was two years old and prescribed a steroid inhaler, which her family used to manage her illness. On 21 May 2022, she woke up wheezing and her medicine did not help. She got dressed and got into the car with her dad before her heart suddenly stopped.