'All the tubes have come out': Young boy who received organ donation is improving daily

Ella Crossett would have been celebrating her fourth birthday Saturday.

Last July, the two-year old girl died after falling into her family pool. However, more than a year later, she’s still impacting people’s lives.

Her organs were donated to two young boys, including Owen Wallis, 7, who needed a bowel, stomach, pancreas, and liver.

“We're just so amazed at how he is doing,” said Maureen Richardson, Wallis’ grandmother. “He is improving and all the tubes have come out now. All’s he’s left with is an NG (nasogastric) tube in his stomach.”

Owen attended an event Saturday named after the girl who helped save his life.

“That's exactly the whole point of being a donor and seeing that my baby did that,” said Kristin Luckins, Ella’s mother. “[Owen’s] not hooked up to anything. He's just kind of normal little boy.”

The event in Sarnia, Ont. was named ‘Ella-Ween’. Because Ella loved Halloween, her mother has been collecting costumes for more than a year. She was able to help community members afford a costume, and money raised went to the Sarnia Organ Donor Association (SODA).

Two-year-old Ella Crossett of Sarnia, Ont. is seen in this undated image. (Source: Submitted)

“Unfortunately, I can't plan a birthday party for her,” said Luckins. “This is the party for her and then other people can enjoy just as much as she did.”

Ella-Ween was also intended to raise awareness for organ donation.

"My daughter has a liver transplant,” said Elizabeth White, a secretary for SODA.

White can hold her daughter Emily thanks to a donation by her mother-in-law in 2017 when Emily was three.

Patricia Smith (left) with her granddaughter Emily Courtis (centre) and daughter-in-law Elizabeth White (right), seen on Oct. 21, 2023. Smith donated part of her liver to Emily who was three in 2017. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

“You can't take your organs with you,” said White. “So you might as well help save a life. You can help a grandmother hold their grandchild and a daughter be able to go to school, and play soccer.”

Luckins’ goal is to make Ella-Ween an annual event in honour of her little girl.

She encourages everyone to become donors.

“It's a hard decision and you have to make it at the worst time of your life,” said Luckins. “But in the end, it's the best decision that you can make.”