A County Down man who received a life-saving double lung transplant is urging others to talk to their families about organ donation this organ donation week. Paddy McNamara from Bangor received a lifesaving double-lung transplant in March 2023. He had been diagnosed with a terminal lung condition and had to have oxygen. Paddy told Downtown Cool FM he will be 'forever grateful' to his donor:

“When diagnosed with Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2018, even taking a breath, something we take for granted, was difficult.

“Now I am able to enjoy life again.

“I can say that without my donor and their family, I wouldn’t be here today, I am very grateful.”

In Northern Ireland there are currently 155 people waiting for life-saving organs. New laws mean most adults here are considered potential organ donors after their death, unless they actively opt out. But Paddy says it is still important to have that conversation with loved ones:

“Every donor, or every life saver as we like to call them can save up to nine lives and in every one of them a wee bit of that person will live on.

“You need to have the discussion, no matter how many people you may tell, you need to tell your loved ones.”

A Doctor's Inspiring Journey

A Northern Ireland doctor says she will be forever thankful to a donor who gave her the gift of life over two years ago. Catherine McCarroll, resident doctor at the Ulster Hospital, successfully underwent a double lung transplant in January 2022. She has shared her inspirational journey from being terminally ill, struggling to walk from her bed to the bathroom, to getting her life back to mark Organ Donation Awareness Week.

Catherine was diagnosed with a non-specific inflammatory lung disease when she was in medical school, however she continued to be medically stable for many years.

She recalled: “Three years ago I found myself on the waiting list for a double lung transplant just after my daughter Eve was born. Ten days after Eve was born I was told that my already pre-existing lung condition had progressed and basically if I didn’t get the transplant within nine months to a year, I would die. This was devastating news for our family.”

It was on January 16th 2022 that Catherine received her “transformative” double lung transplant as she explained: “If you do make that decision to come onboard as an organ donor you are making such a brave, selfless choice in giving someone the gift of life. Before my transplant I was on oxygen 24/7 and now I’m here doing all the things I love such as being a mum and a doctor.

“I couldn’t be more thankful to my donor. By donating your organs it is such a gift to someone who is on the organ donation waiting list. Every person that donates their organs can save up to nine lives. Until you hear someone’s own story you don’t really grasp how life changing it can be,” she added.

The Importance of Organ Donation

Organ Donation Week runs until September 29th and provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the current law in place around organ donation. The annual weeklong campaign also aims to highlight the ongoing need for more organ donors. Statistics show that more than 7,600 people are currently in need of an organ transplant, including over 250 children. Each year around 1,400 people donate, but despite these remarkable people the waiting list for donors continues to rise.

Since June 2023, all adults in Northern Ireland are now considered potential organ donors unless they choose to opt out or are in an excluded group. The Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) legislation, known as ‘Dáithí’s Law’ in honour of seven-year-old Dáithí Mac Gabhann who has been waiting for the gift of a heart transplant for over six years, changes the way consent is granted and follows similar law changes in Wales, England and Scotland.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has welcomed Northern Ireland’s growing rate of support for organ donation. In this, the 30th year of the NHS Organ Donor Register, more than a million adults in Northern Ireland - 55% of the population here - have registered their decision to be considered a potential organ donor after death, the highest rate of all the UK nations.

To mark Organ Donation Week, Minister Nesbitt said: “Organ donation is a lifesaving gift, and with the number of people awaiting transplant exceeding the number of available organs, it is essential that we do everything we can to encourage and facilitate it. That means continuously educating and promoting informed conversation, as well as improving the infrastructure to support both living and deceased donation.

“That is something that our Health and Social Care system has done remarkably well, lifting Northern Ireland from having one of the lowest rates of awareness and support for organ donation in Europe, to one of the highest.”

The Health Minister added: “The introduction of deemed consent is just not about saving lives, it is also about ensuring that the wishes of individuals are respected. Crucially, families will always be a part of the donation discussion in the rare cases where donation after death is clinically possible.

“As we celebrate the remarkable achievements of 30 years of the ODR during Organ Donation Week 2024, this remains the best way to record your decision and I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to do so.”

A Life Transformed

Catherine McCarroll, a resident doctor at the Ulster Hospital, had been diagnosed with a non-specific inflammatory lung disease while in medical school but remained stable for many years. However, her condition worsened after the birth of her daughter, Eve, leaving her on a waiting list for a double lung transplant.

“Three years ago I found myself on the waiting list for a double lung transplant just after my daughter Eve was born,” she said. “Ten days after Eve was born I was told that my already pre-existing lung condition had progressed and basically if I didn’t get the transplant within nine months to a year, I would die. This was devastating news for our family.”

McCarroll received her life-saving transplant in January 2022, and she describes the experience as transformative. She credits her donor for giving her the gift of life and allowing her to be a mother and a doctor.

“If you do make that decision to come onboard as an organ donor you are making such a brave, selfless choice in giving someone the gift of life,” she said. “Before my transplant I was on oxygen 24/7 and now I’m here doing all the things I love such as being a mum, being a Doctor and I couldn’t be more thankful to my donor. By donating your organs it is such a gift to someone who is on the organ donation waiting list. Every person that donates their organs can save up to nine lives. Until you hear someone’s own story you don’t really grasp how life changing it can be.”

McCarroll's story highlights the crucial need for organ donors and emphasizes the positive impact that organ donation can have on recipients' lives. Organ Donation Week serves as a platform to raise awareness, promote conversation, and encourage individuals to register their decision to be potential organ donors after death.