Zaidee Rose Alexander Turner – aged 7 years and 22 days died suddenly on 2nd December 2004 from a burst blood vessel in her brain called a Cerebral Aneurism. Zaidee’s parents, Kim and Allan, founded Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation not long after.
At the time of Zaidee’s death the Turner family had been registered Organ and Tissue Donors for 5 years. As a result Zaidee donated her Organs and Tissues at the Royal Children’s Hospital, as were her wishes at the time. From this gift, the lives of 7 people (6 children and 1 adult) were improved and, in some cases, saved.
Zaidee was the only child in Victoria under the age of 16 years and we have been told one of the youngest Australians to donate her organs and tissues in 2004. She was only 1 of 6 children nationally to donate their organs.
Zaidee’s Story is directed towards both children and adults so they can think about others who are waiting for a life saving operation and a suitable match for an organ or tissue. Think about giving this gift to others so they can live a better life and in some cases, have a second chance at life.
Zaidee’s gift of her organs to others will allow them to have another birthday. 1 in 5 people on the transplant waiting list will never get the chance to have another birthday if people do not become registered donors.
The symbol is representative of hope; after every storm the sun shines and there is a rainbow. For those people on the transplant waiting list, the rainbow symbol offers them hope. At the end of their rainbow is an organ or tissue to improve their life – or in most cases – save their life.
In 2004 130,000 Australians died. Only 218 were Organ Donors.
Concept of Shoelaces
Zaidee’s Rainbow Shoelaces were developed by Kim and Allan Turner, parents of Zaidee, to raise national awareness of organ and tissue donation. It is their goal that Zaidee’s legacy and memory will deliver a national message.
Zaidee’s Poem
When Zaidee was taken in for her final operation to be an organ and tissue donor.
She did not need her bright blue eyes to see
Her lungs to breath
Her little heart to pump blood around her tiny body
Nor did she need her kidneys or liver again
You see she had died.
All Zaidee needed to take to heaven was the love from her Mum, Dad and brother Jaz.
But other little children just down the hall in the same hospital did need her heart, her liver just to live life again.
These kids are now home with their mums and dads, brothers, sisters and friends again.
Two little kids got to see properly again, to see the faces of their Mum and Dad when they each received one of Zaidee’s cornea’s.
A new born and an infant got a second chance for life from parts of Zaidee’s heart.
What Zaidee gave in death was life to other children and a mother because we as a family discussed this before a death in our family years before just in case.
Our little girl Zaidee gave the greatest gift of all, her organs and tissues, she is now our angel in heaven who we are so very proud of for what she achieved in her short 7 years and 22 days of life that many of us will never do and that is to give life to others.
Zaidee’s spirit and her memory will live on and on.
Written by Zaidee’s Dad.
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