Ken and Liz Iles showed remarkable courage to make the agonising decision just as they learned that their litle girl had died less than 24 hours after she became ill.

Mums' support for Abigail's family

Abigail Iles: Messages of condolence

But agreeing to donate her heart, liver and both kidneys helped to save the lives of three children and a woman.

Abigail was rushed to the University Hospital of Hartlepool on Thursday after complaining of a headache and upset stomach.

She was then transferred to Newcastle General were a brain scan revealed a vein in her head had burst.

The Year 3 pupil at St Aidan's Primary School died on Friday, less 24 hours after being admitted to hospital.

Her parents, who live in Granville Avenue, today revealed how they made the decision to donate her organs.

Ken said: "I had always wanted to donate my organs, but when it came to that point with Abigail, she was still our little girl.

"We knew it was the right thing to do but could we do it? It was something that we wanted to do, we just needed to get that bit of courage to say yes and our family helped us make that decision."

He added: "Abigail's heart went to a five-year-old boy in Newcastle General and her liver went to a 44-year-old woman.

"We don't know which hospital they were staying at, but one of them was critical and wouldn't have lasted much longer.

"Her two kidneys went to a five-year-old and six-year-old in London and Birmingham. Four people have been given new lives because of her.

"She was still alive to us, she just looked asleep when the time came for her to go to the theatre, when we left her she was still breathing."

Messages of condolence have been flooding in to the Mail. You can leave your message to Abigail and her family at hartlepoolmail.co.uk.

Abigail's funeral is taking place on Friday at noon at St Aidan's Church, St Aidan's Street, Hartlepool.

Friends and neighbours are invited and flowers are welcome or donations can be made to Zoe's Place, a baby hospice in Middlesbrough.

Ken, 38, who works as a funeral director at the Co-operative Funeral Service, said: "All the lads from work are wearing pink ties. Pink was her favourite colour."

Her mother, Liz, 41, who works as an accounts assistant for Bridgeman IBC, said: "She was not a frilly girl, just a pink girl. If she was in her pink play clothes and with her family she was happy. There will be a white horse-drawn carriage at her funeral because we thought black was too morbid.

"Abigail loved going to church with school and she wouldn't have a word said against it, she always defended everything she believed in.

"She wouldn't have a bad word said against anything or anybody."

Abigail's parents have also paid tribute to the doctors and nurses who battled to save her life.

Ken said: "It was absolutely fantastic what they did, all the doctors and nurses were fantastic. Abigail had constant care, there wasn't one point when she didn't have a nurse at the end of her bed.

"They never left her and if one of the nurses had to leave then somebody would come in, they were there all the time.

"We'd also like to thank Lucy from Cleveland Police who was with us all the time."