A SELFLESS teenager who died of a severe asthma attack saved five lives after his grieving family agreed to donate his organs.

Sean Martin, 14, died just months after he was diagnosed with the condition.

Mother Lisa Ternent, 34, and stepdad John Tully, 48, of Horsley Hill, South Shields, say they are drawing comfort from knowing he had given the gift of life to others.

His heart was donated to a ten-year-old boy, while part of his liver went to a five-year-old boy who is battling cancer in Leeds.

The other part of his liver went to Birmingham and one of his kidneys and pancreas were sent to Edinburgh.

His other kidney went to a 36-year-old woman, who has been on the waiting list for a transplant for 16 years.

Mr Tully said: "In an awful situation like Sean's death - a little bit of good has come out of it. He was a lovely and a very special boy."

Sean was taken to hospital in the early hours of Sunday, May 20, and died three days later, after his brain was starved of oxygen.

He was cremated following a Humanist ceremony.