Shropshire’s Steven Early was full of life. He had travelled Europe, crossed the Atlantic for love and had dreams of being a published writer.

When he died aged just 36 it was just too soon for his family. And with no real answers as to why, his parents wanted his tragic loss to have some meaning.

It was why, when they faced possibly the most painful moment of their lives, they were able to think of others. It gave them the courage to step in and act quickly to donate his heart and save the life of another man.

Jean and Patrick Early, of Cross Houses, knew the prognosis was not good when doctors at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital talked about brain stem tests just days after Steven had been found collapsed at home.

The youngest of their four children, he had lived with his parents ever since he had returned from travelling in 2008.

At that moment, when the future seemed so terribly bleak, they understood something positive should come of it and asked doctors if there was any way Steven could help others.

They were told his heart could be donated to a suitable recipient and, together with Steven’s three siblings, as a family they decided to go ahead.

Today they have urged other Shropshire families facing the same devastating dilemma to consider organ donation.

Even now, months after Steven’s death, the close-knit Shropshire family is still struggling to come to terms with losing him and the grief is still so very raw.

The Early family at the wedding of Steven's older brother Patrick in 2008 when Steven first returned from travelling to Shropshire.

Last week coroner John Ellery recorded an open verdict after an investigation into his death, on October 24 last year, failed to establish a cause.

His sister Jacqui Bolton, of Priorslee, Telford, said they may have to accept that they will never really know what happened to their beloved brother or why he was taken from them.

But she said they had found comfort in the fact that he had helped another man, who they believe is a father, to live.

“He was just an ordinary guy who had grown up in Telford, was proud of his Irish roots, had a sense of adventure and loved his family,” she said.

“He had travelled around Europe and had moved to Canada when he met and fell in love with a girl. They got married but it didn’t work out and he came home.

“But that did give us all a chance to spend some precious time with him and which created so many new memories for us.

“Memories such as seeing him around the dinner table with my children and cooking for my parents and getting them to try all kinds of new dishes he had come across while travelling. He loved cooking and was great at it. I think it helped my parents and the rest of my family to know that organ donation was the right thing to do and something Steven would have wanted.”

Jacqui said Steven had lived life to the full and touched so many other lives so she could never describe it as a waste if he had not donated his heart.

“But it was the right thing to do and very much the kind of person he was,” she added.

“We do believe that while it is one of the toughest decisions to make at a time when all you want to do is just cut yourself off from the world and grieve, it is important that families do think about giving that chance of life to another person.”

Jacqui praised both the intensive care unit team at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Shropshire-based organ donation co-ordinator for their care of Steven and the support they gave to the family.

Steven also left his sister Christina Lankford and brother Patrick and was a very much loved uncle.

His family plans to scatter his ashes on Arranmore Island off the coast of Ireland.

Special report by Women’s Editor Tracey O’Sullivan