'Give my son the gift of life this Christmas'
Parents of boy with rare heart condition call for more organ donors
Last updated 12th Dec 2018
The parents of a two-year-old boy waiting for a heart transplant have urged the public to consider signing the organ donation register.
To mark Northern Ireland's annual organ donation discussion day, the Department of Health launched a £250,000 recurrent fund to try and increase awareness.
West Belfast parents Mairtin Mac Gabhann and Seph Ni Mheallain, whose young son Daithi is currently on the waiting list for a heart transplant, have led a high-profile campaign to promote organ donation.
"We just want to raise a bit of awareness and to get people thinking about the question of organ donation - that the option is there to save lives,'' said Ms Ni Mheallain.
Mr Mac Gabhann said his son was "such a happy child.''
"We have been told because of his heart condition that he should be very low on energy, but we have yet to see that energy running out,'' he said.
"He's always smiling and his personality is unbelievable and to be honest that's what keeps us strong throughout and that's what keeps our campaign going.
"We would just call on all people and families to consider becoming organ donors because it can really make the whole difference to people like us and potentially give that gift of life - that's something special.''
Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland Dr Michael McBride highlighted that in the last five years the number of people on the organ donation register increased from 30% to 45%.
He stressed that organ donation could only proceed with the consent of the families who have lost loved ones.
"One donor can help improve or save the lives of up to nine others,'' he said.
"While Northern Ireland leads the world in live kidney donation and transplantation, around a third of families don't give consent after the death of a loved one.
"In these difficult circumstances, recalling a conversation with their loved about their wishes in relation to organ donation can often make a family's decision more comfortable.''
Co-founder of organ donation trust, the Opt for Life Foundation, Shane Finnegan, said: "Organ donation can only be a gift, freely given, from one family to another and that is why we want to ensure that people let their loved ones know what their wishes are on organ donation as the consent rate rises significantly when families have that all important conversation."