Heartbroken dad and mom of juvenile killed in hole 12 months bike crash pay tribute to hospital employees after they had been in a position to fly to Vietnam and say their goodbyes earlier than she died

The parents of a teenage girl killed in a Vietnam motorbike crash during her gap year have thanked hospital staff after flying to the country to say their goodbyes.

British student Orla Wates, 19, died after an accident on the Hà Giang Loop, a 250-mile mountain route popular with young travellers. 

She was the daughter of British building tycoon Andrew Wates, a director of £2.4billion building firm Wates.

Mr Wates, 56, and his wife Henrietta, 53, went to Vietnam following the tragedy and today took part in an ‘appreciation ceremony’ at the hospital where Orla died – and have expressed their gratitude for being given the time to be there. 

Orla had been travelling on the Hà Giang Loop on a gap year before planning to start an anthropology degree course at Durham University, after previously attending the prestigious Stowe School in Buckinghamshire.

Following the motorcycle accident she was rushed to Hanoi’s Việt Đức Friendship Hospital but died on Thursday last week. 

Her organs have now been donated for transplants, saving the lives of five critically ill Vietnamese patients.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but it is understood that Orla was riding pillion on the back of a motorcycle when the driver lost control.

Orla was thrown to the ground but was then run over by an oncoming truck, causing extensive injuries.

Today’s event at Vietnamese capital Hanoi’s Việt Đức Hospital was attended by members of Orla’s family as well as Iain Frew, Britain’s ambassador in the country.

Mr Wates said the organ donation decision was something his daughter would have wanted.

Orla’s liver, two kidneys and two corneas were transplanted to patients at the hospital. 

Mr Wates said: ‘I would like to really say thank you to the doctor and his team for doing such an amazing job for Orla. 

‘In this case, it wasn’t to be but we know we were lucky enough to get here and see her. 

‘As you know, my wife and I were very, very keen in our family, very keen that Orla had lived on in Vietnam. 

‘We were lucky and privileged enough to see the patients today and we just wish them every success in their future.’ 

He added: ‘From our perspective, absolutely what we wanted, and I know that’s really, really what Orla wanted. 

‘So we leave Vietnam with very sad memories on the one hand but with much hope on the other.’ 

Dr Dương Đức Hùng, director of Việt Đức University Hospital, said patients who had received the transplanted organs were all recovering well. 

Addressing Orla’s relatives, he said: ‘We fully understand that the passing of your daughter is an immense and heartbreaking loss for your family. 

‘Yet, in the midst of such profound grief, you made a remarkably humanitarian decision – one that has given other patients a renewed chance at life. 

‘We know that making such a decision at a time like this is incredibly difficult.

‘Despite the distance between us, we are connected by shared human values, compassion and empathy.

‘Your choice is a truly noble one, offering hope to many patients with end-stage organ failure and allowing life to continue in others. 

‘On behalf of the hospital and the recipients of your daughter’s donated organs, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude. 

‘The patients who received these precious gifts have recovered well, and your act of generosity has made a profound difference. 

‘While your daughter has passed away, a part of her continues to live on in those who have received her organs. We promise that we will always care for and honour these precious gifts, as well as the lives they have saved.’ 

This is the first time organs have been donated from a foreign citizen to a Vietnamese hospital. 

Vietnam’s minister of health Đào Hồng Lan wrote a letter to Orla’s family, thanking them for their decision to donate her organs. 

Mr Lan wrote: ‘This represents one of the first cases of multi-organ donation from a foreign citizen to Vietnamese hospitals.

‘In particular, it carries special significance, affirming the universal value of humanity while further strengthening the solidarity and mutual trust between the people of Vietnam and the United Kingdom. 

‘We sincerely acknowledge, deeply appreciate, and express our heartfelt gratitude for your family’s noble gesture. 

‘This profound sacrifice will always be honoured and remembered. Your daughter’s legacy will continue to live on through those who have received her organs and in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.’ 

UK ambassador Mr Frew said today: ‘I want to thank the hospital for its efforts, its work to support trying to save all them, and for the work of the organ transplant unit in transforming the family’s wishes and hopes into the very best for young people whose lives have been changed and saved. 

‘It’s already been said that this is representing a connection between the United Kingdom and Vietnam and the strong relationship between our countries, but it is also a very personal connection between the Wates family and those Vietnamese people whose lives are changed. 

‘I really hope that this symbolises also an ongoing effort to make the most of organ transplants in Vietnam and organ donation, which is such an important thing in Vietnam, in the UK and across the world.’

The circumstances around the crash are still under investigation by police in Hà Giang Province.

The Ha Giang Loop is a 350-400km motorbike adventure popular with young travellers visiting the country.

Tours usually take between three and four days, with riders passing through the Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark.

It features steep mountains, deep valleys, rice terraces and dramatic passes such as Ma Pi Leng.

Mr Wates is a director of the Wates building firm and chairman of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Orla Wates, following her tragic death in Vietnam.

‘We are in touch with the local authorities and our consular staff are doing all they can to support Orla’s family at this hugely difficult time.’