VUW student Michael Boyes, who helped seven people in need by donating his organs following his sudden death earlier this year, has graduated posthumously.
Boyes was presented with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Art History. His sister Jessica Boyes—who graduated with Honours in Psychology—carried his hood across the graduation stage for him.
VUW wrote to the family before the graduation season, informing them he could be capped posthumously. With the graduation also coinciding with the graduation of his sister, the family agreed to it.
Boyes collapsed on Cuba Street in February after suffering a brain bleed, dying before paramedics could resuscitate him.
Obeying his last wishes, his family donated his organs which helped people in both New Zealand and Australia.
New Zealand lags behind many other developed countries in rates of organ donation, with only 29 donors in 2009 and 53 in 2015.
The Ministry of Health has recently undertaken a review of New Zealand medical practices to see if these rates could be increased.