11-Year-Old Boy Dies Following Road Accident Then Saves 5 Lives with His Organs

• An 11-year-old boy who loved making people laugh met a severe accident in December.
• He was immediately rushed to the hospital but died two days later.
• Months later, he was honored for saving the lives of five people after his death.

An 11-year-old boy from Hastings, England, met an accident on December 15, 2022, after his vehicle collided with another near Bexhill. The boy, Harry Dennis, was severely injured during the crash.

Police officers and first responders arrived at the accident site at around 3:05 p.m., and the boy was immediately airlifted to King’s Hospital in London, where he was treated for his injuries.

Because of the massive impact of the collision, the preteen’s lungs had collapsed, and his brain had swollen because of a lack of oxygen. The doctors couldn’t do much to save the boy’s life because his injuries were irreversible.

Dennis was loved by his mother, Maria, and father, Lee, besides countless people who knew him and had witnessed his kindness. His entire life was ahead of him, but fate didn’t allow him to recover from his injuries.

Dennis breathed his last after spending two days at the hospital. He died on December 17, leaving behind his grieving parents and sister, who never thought they would lose him so soon.

“Harry has left a big hole. It seems so quiet and empty with him missing, which is what is so hard,” Maria said months after her son’s untimely demise. “He had such an impact on so many people.”

Dennis was a secondary school student at The Hastings Academy and was known for his sense of humor among his friends. Like many other boys his age, Dennis enjoyed playing football. He was a part of the Hastings Athletic Football Club.

According to his mother, Dennis enjoyed socializing, and football helped him meet new people and make friends. She saw people smile when they were around him and believed he thrived on making others laugh.

Upon learning about his death, the Hastings Athletic Football Club posted a tribute for him on their Facebook page. They were saddened to announce that their “talented player” was no more. They said:

“He was a kind, bubbly, funny young man who was loved by everyone, with a laugh that will stay in our hearts forever.”

To respect the young man, the football club management decided to retire his “no. 10 shirt.” They added that they would miss Dennis and thanked everyone for their kind wishes on behalf of the boy’s parents.

Meanwhile, the boy’s school also posted on social media to announce his untimely demise. They said, “Harry was popular and loved by all his peers, teachers, and pastoral staff. He will be deeply missed by all in our academy community.” The school management provided support to students and staff members while they mourned the boy’s death.

While the boy’s family grieved their loss, a close friend set up an online fundraiser in his memory to support the Air Ambulance that moved Dennis to King’s Hospital on time and the Hastings Athletic Football Club.

They wanted to raise money for the Air Ambulance because it allowed him to fight for his life after being moved to the hospital. The family chose to help the football club because it was close to Dennis’s heart. The fundraiser description read:

“They have said that Harry’s life was his football, and he would want to know that his friends would always be able to carry on playing.”

Dennis was laid to rest in the St Laurence’s churchyard, Guestling, where his father often visited him. While spending time with his son at the graveyard, Lee noticed a few military graves and decided to restore them. He hoped people would remember his son like he was trying to remember the late soldiers. He said:

“Our family’s journey without Harry has only just begun. We have a long road ahead to try and come to terms with our loss, as did those who lost loved ones in conflicts.”

While people paid their tributes to Dennis, the police continued investigating the accident. They charged the driver of the other vehicle, Russell Le Beau, with causing death by dangerous driving.

According to the authorities, the man pleaded not guilty in a May 3, 2023, court hearing. “The trial date has been set for November 27,” a Crown Prosecution Service official said.

Despite losing his life in an unexpected incident, the little boy did not stop creating a positive change in this world. According to Maria, she had a conversation with her son about organ donation that made her decide to donate her son’s organs.

She admitted it was challenging to take the decision, but she felt proud knowing her son had helped five people. His kidneys, pancreas, and liver were donated to five people who needed those organs to live a healthy life.

Dennis received the Order of St John Award for Organ Donation this week, making his parents feel proud. Maria said she did not feel sad during the award ceremony. Instead, she felt happy knowing a part of her son lived inside the five people who received his organs.

Here is another story about a 15-year-old boy who went to visit his grandparents but was soon found dead near their home.