Doctor who received kidney from fellow GP: ‘I didn’t realise how unwell I was but I feel so much better now’

So when Dr Smith told her colleague that her Chronic Kidney Disease, which she’d managed for two decades, was forcing her to undergo peritoneal dialysis, he made her a life-changing offer.

Dr. Smith tells the story: “At the beginning of last year, I started to undergo peritoneal dialysis which I took through the night for eight hours at a time. I did worry about the unknown, how my kidney condition would progress and that if I became very ill, how it might impact on my family life and financial obligations which my husband and myself were committed to. However we were optimistic and getting on with life.

“Within weeks of me telling Noel that I would be going on dialysis and need a kidney transplant, Noel and his wife Róisín had reached a decision together and told me that Noel would go forward to be screened for living donation.

“Obviously this came as a huge surprise to me and myself and my husband Alan were completely overwhelmed by their profound act of kindness. Once I was listed on the kidney transplant waiting pool Noel quickly began the screening process for living donation. My husband Alan also went forward but wasn't a compatible donor. However, Noel was deemed to be compatible after rigorous testing including blood and tissue typing as well as psychological assessment.

“The transplant went ahead at Beaumont Hospital last September. I can honestly say that I didn’t realise how unwell I had been feeling up until the transplant as I had just been plodding along. I feel so much better now. My family and I have so much to be thankful for and it’s thanks to Noel that I am at this point where I can look forward to the future with my family and continue to enjoy working as a doctor, a job I love to do.”

The doctors are speaking out six months after the kidney transplant at Beaumont Hospital in support of the Irish Kidney Association's Organ Donor Awareness Week 2017 (April 1-8).

Through his work, Dr. Howard has witnessed first-hand the difference that a kidney transplant can make to a patient's health and life quality.

“For me, donating a kidney was an easy decision to arrive at,” he said.

“I wanted to help my colleague and friend as I had seen how organ transplantation transformed the lives of some of my patients. I knew that Beaumont had been carrying out non-related living donor kidney transplants for some time.

“My family have always been very pro organ donation. Róisín’s cousin had cystic fibrosis and died while on a transplant waiting list. I felt that rather than just talking about it that this was my opportunity to step up and try to make a difference.”

There are approximately 600 people in Ireland currently awaiting life-saving heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplants, while over 4,450 people are being treated for kidney failure.

In 2016, 280 organs transplants were carried out in Ireland. 230 were as a result of the generosity of the families of 77 deceased donors and the remaining 50 were from living kidney donors.

Organ Donor Awareness Week 2017 will focus on reminding the Irish public to have the important family discussion about their wishes concerning deceased organ donation and to support the Irish Kidney Association by buying a 'forget-me-not' flower and other merchandise.

Organ Donor Cards can be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association: LoCall 1890 543639, freetext the word DONOR to 50050 or visit ika.ie. You can now download the IKA’s new digital donor card by visiting donor.ie on your smartphone.