It is said that the loss of a child is an indescribable pain, but what if there was a way to turn this grief into something good? In a first for British medicine, a couple did just this, seeing through their pain and using their newborn’s death as a way to give others a chance at life. A 6-day-old infant has become Britain’s youngest organ donor, a feat which could potentially change the organ donor list and save the lives of countless children and adults.

Britain’s youngest organ donor was a baby girl born last year at Hammersmith Hospital in London, The Telegraph reported. Having been deprived of oxygen inside her mother’s womb, the 7-pound infant was born unable to move or respond to stimuli. In six short days, her body gave into its disabilities and her tiny heart ceased to beat. The child’s life, though short, has led to perhaps one of the most significant cases in newborn organ donation. Her organs have saved two lives, with her kidneys transplanted into a patient with renal failure, and her liver cells were transfused into a second patient.

Donating the organs of such a young child is always a highly sensitive issue, and this is the first time that doctors have offered the opportunity for a child so young. Still, according to the doctors working with the families, the girl’s parents were able to see beyond their grief and agree to the transplant without hesitation.

"When we explained to the parents of the baby girl it could be possible to save some lives with their help, they were only too keen. They came back wanting to speak to me again within a couple of hours,” said Dr. Gaurav Atreja, a neonatologist at Hammersmith Hospital in an interview with BBC radio 4. According to the doctors, donating the organs of their young daughter helped to ease the parents' grief by presenting them with “the potential to transform another life.”

The recipients of the infant’s organs have not been disclosed, but doctors agree that they could potentially be used to help patients of any age. While adult organs are far too large to be transplanted into children, in past cases the organs of children have been successfully transplanted into adults.

In the United States alone, it’s estimated that nearly 19,000 babies die each year during their first month of life. Although the death of a child is truly heart-breaking, the precedent set by this case may mean that their death could result in the life of others and increase the total pool of much needed available organs for both children and adults.