A woman rugby player who died after being injured in a tackle has saved at least four lives through organ donation , her funeral was told today.
Lily Partridge, 22, carried two donor cards and her organs were retrieved before doctors turned off her life support machine at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
Family friend Nick Irving told 400 mourners, some wearing rugby shirts, at Exeter Cathedral: "Lily’s family would like to share something with you all today, just three days before Christmas, the traditional time for giving and receiving.
"Lily gave her Christmas gifts early.
"She has given the gift of life to four total strangers and more people will benefit in the weeks and months ahead.
"Three young adults and a middle aged person have now been saved and face a New Year with a new lease of life and full of hope."
Read more:Zookeeper dies following rugby match after she was injured in the head
More of her organs may be used to help other patients.
Lily, who worked as a zookeeper, had played as hooker for Exonians ladies’ rugby team based at Topsham, Devon, for 18 months.
She suffered her fatal head injury in a Devon county practice match on December 6.
The South West Organ Donor said: "We will never know the exact number of people Lily has helped through her donation and the recipients will never know who they have to thank for giving so selflessly to change their lives.
"There are 7,000 people currently on the list waiting for a transplant and sadly, three of them wont be alive tomorrow.”
Read more:'I've had the best Christmas present ever – new lungs to save my life'
Lily's family has stressed that no one was to blame for the tragic rugby accident two weeks ago and said she had been at the happiest point on her life both personally and professionally.
Front rower Lily was a founder member of the Exonians ladies rugby team based at Topsham, Devon, and had played the sport for 18 months.
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