DEBBIE Stoner cried as she pressed her ear closely against 11-year-old Nellie-Mai’s chest.

Hearing each palpitation of her little heart served as a comforting reminder that her daughter Jade, who was killed in a tragic car crash aged seven, will forever live on.

Debbie made the brave decision to donate her cherished daughter’s organs hoping that her shattering loss could give the most precious gift to as many children as possible – the gift of life.

Despite her unimaginable pain, that decision gave four people including two babies their lives back.

But never did she imagine 10 years after the most heartbreaking day of her life, she would hear Jade’s heart beating again inside the chest of another little girl.

The 45-year-old, said: “It was incredibly emotional. Hearing Nellie-Mai’s heartbeat hit me hard. It occurred to me the last time I heard it beating was when I was pregnant with her and it sounded just as strong.

“Since Jade has died, I’ve felt empty inside.

“When you lose a child there isn’t a day that goes by you don’t miss them terribly or feel immense pain. No parent can ever get over the loss.

“It steals pieces of your heart you didn’t know you even had. Hearing Jade’s heart beating, giving life to such a precious little girl gave me comfort and has somehow helped the pieces of my shattered heart come back together again.

“I lost the most precious thing in my life that day but now she’s living on in a way. Jade has given life and I feel so proud.”

The date Debbie’s world shattered was 24 September 2006, just before 4.30pm.

Jade, a bubbly Somerford Primary Community School pupil, was playing on her bike outside the then family home in Edward Road, Christchurch, when she was hit by a car.

Her parents Debbie and John heard the horror smash but could do nothing to save their daughter.

As they agreed to turn off her life-support machine after she suffered severe brain damage, they decided to donate her organs to give hope to other families.

At the same time, medics in Cumbria feared little Nellie-Mai Evans, who was born with cardiomyopathy – a chronic disease of the heart muscle, would not survive after suffering a series of heart attacks.

Abandoned by her parents and struggling for life, doctors asked volunteer foster parents Jeff and Sarah Evans to sit with the baby girl so she would not die alone.

When they overheard doctors saying that without a family, she wouldn’t be able to go on the transplant list, they decided to foster her.

It meant Nellie-Mai received Jade’s heart and she began to thrive.

Although organ donation is supposed to be anonymous and families rarely meet unless both parties agree, Jeff, a former police detective, tracked down Jade’s parents after reading a newspaper article and the families began writing to each other.

They met last month in Birmingham and Debbie said meeting Nellie-Mai, who has learning difficulties and severe epilepsy, has given her renewed strength.

Fighting back tears, she said: “Jade always managed to light up a room when she walked into it. If anyone around her was sad, she’d do anything she could to make them happy again. I thought she was the prettiest thing in the whole world and she brought so much joy and pleasure.

“What made Jade was her spirit and that had gone. Her body no longer needed those organs, but others did.

“It felt so natural meeting Nellie-Mai. She has been through so much but she was so giving and so full of energy. She allowed me to cuddle her and she wanted to be close to me too.

“She reminded me of my princess, Jade. She lit up the room and I just couldn’t stop watching her. I couldn’t get enough of her. She is a delight.”

Today Debbie, who is also mum to Jade’s sister Amy, 14 and half-brother Ben, six, has urged families to talk about organ donation to save lives.

“It isn’t an easy decision to make.

“So many people die waiting but a lot of organs go to waste. I accepted my Jade had gone and I didn’t want her life to be in vain.

“From something so dreadful, living every parent’s worst nightmare, I know that two babies have lived and that is amazing and I feel so proud to be part of that.”

To join the NHS Organ Donor Register go to organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.