Limerick man waiting for a new heart 'can't survive' without machines

“At this stage now, my heart has actually come to an end.”

These are the words of Limerick man Ian O’Doherty, who has bravely shared his story ahead of Organ Donor Awareness
Week, which begins this Saturday, March 27.

Organised by the Irish Kidney Association, organ recipients and those on the organ donation waiting list are encouraged to share their stories to show the importance of organ donation.

Castletroy native, Ian O’Doherty, is one of those who decided to share his story.

Currently in the Mater Hospital, the 46-year-old has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant since August 2020. The doctors have still not found a heart that is suitable for Ian after two attempts, but Ian remains hopeful.

“Please God, let there be a heart out there for me and for everyone,” he said in a video message which was streamed during the launch which took place virtually.

Ian has been ill since he was 26 years old, and 18 years later his heart has come to its end. “I can’t survive without these machines,” he explained solemnly.

He has been stuck in the Mater Hospital since June 2020, with the bare minimum of visitors due to Covid-19. “Christmas was the last time I saw my daughter,” he said. "Being stuck in here, in a little room 24/7, it’s very lonely. I miss my daughter, I miss my dog, I miss my own surroundings and my own comforts.”

The Irish Kidney Association reports that in Ireland there are anywhere between 550-600 people on waiting lists for organ transplants at any given time. Ian is one of many who suffer in this way.

To highlight the importance of organ donation, 60 public sites around the country are being lit up in green for the duration of Organ Donation Week, which runs from March 27 to April 3.

The Irish Kidney Association decided this year to go with the theme “#lifeisagift, pass it on”.

Dr Catherine Motherway, an Intensive Care Consultant in UHL, echoed this sentiment during her talk with the Irish Kidney Association during the launch.

“The gift of life and the gift of an organ for a recipient is so life-changing and life-altering,” said Dr Motherway, who was recently presented with a Limerick Person of the Month award.

Dr Motherway also made a point to acknowledge the heroic acts of those, and the families of those, who donate their organs.

“I am so humbled everytime when I ask if their loved one wanted to be an organ donor and they say yes. It is truly amazing that people can do this in very tragic circumstances,” she said.

As part of Organ Donation Week, the Irish Kidney Association and Dr Motherway is urging the public to have the conversation with their loved ones about if they would like to be an organ donor.

"At a time of such death and loss, people can give life,” Dr Motherway explained aptly.

If you wish to support organ donation the Irish Kidney Association recommends carrying an organ donor card, permitting Code 115 to be included on your driver’s licence and having an App on their smartphone.

Organ Donor Cards can be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association on 01 6205306 or by Free-texting the word DONOR to 50050.

You can also visit ika.ie/get-a-donor-card or download the FREE ‘digital organ donor card’ APP to your phone.