Woman writes to parents of Shaun Woodburn after his organs '˜saved her life'

Shaun Woodburn was killed in an incident on New Year

It is understood that Shaun, who was a registered organ donor, saved four people, including a baby.

In her letter, seen by the Daily Record, the mum expressed her sympathies to the family of Shaun Woodburn and paid tribute to their “selfless act”.

According to her note, her illness had been a “death sentence” before Shaun saved her.

Organs of tragic footballer Shaun Woodburn '˜saved four people'

The letter, which was passed on via organ donation staff she was acutely aware that a “poor soul had lost their life” when she was given the news that she had an organ.

It is understood that the transplant was a success and that the writer of the letter is thought to be healthy and thriving.

Speaking to the Daily Record his dad Kevin said: “When they told us nothing could be done for Shaun, we knew he had signed up to donate, so we felt it was the right thing to do.

“It’s the most painful thing in the world to know your child is dying and there’s nothing you can do. It’s even harder when your child is dying as a result of a crime.

“One of the hardest things for me while we had to wait for Shaun’s organs to be harvested was the police officers being present at all times because Shaun’s body was evidence.

That was very hard. The officers were very respectful.”

He added: ““The horror of what we were being confronted with was horrendous, but the doctors and nurses treated Shaun and us with so much dignity and respect.

“The donor nurses, who have an incredibly difficult job, were very respectful. All of them treated my son with great care and respect.”

Shaun passed away on New Year’s Day after being attacked in Leith.

The former Bonnyrigg Rose player had been out with friends celebrating Hogmanay at Gladstones Bar prior to the incident.

His 17-year-old killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to four years in jail.