Working Life: I receive a call regarding a potential organ donor

Breeda Conlon, organ donor coordinator

Mon, 18 Oct, 2021 - 05:55

Catherine Shanahan

6am

Shower, breakfast, feed the cat, say goodbye to husband before leaving for the commute from Kildare to Dublin where the ODTI (Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland) office is based.

7.30am

I work a 24-hour shift. The service is available nationwide 24/7, 365 days a year. A donor coordinator is available at all times for referrals, enquiries or any support which may be required.

9am

I catch up on emails/requests for information on becoming an organ donor.

11am

I deliver a short educational session to undergraduate nursing students via video link to hear their feedback on any professional or personal experiences of organ donation.

12.30am

Lunch and catch up with colleagues.

1.15pm

I receive a call from a colleague, an organ donor nurse manager, regarding a potential organ donor within their hospital group. The patient’s family has brought up the possibility of organ donation as their loved one carried a donor card and previously expressed their wish to donate if possible.

Breeda Conlon, Donor Coordinator with Organ Donation Transplant Ireland (ODTI) outside their headquarters in Dublin. Photograph Moya Nolan

3pm

After receiving all the necessary information related to the potential donor, I liaise closely with the National Transplanting Centres: the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital for heart and lung transplants; St Vincent’s University Hospital for liver and pancreas transplants and Beaumont University Hospital for kidney transplants.

A lot of background logistics are required to ensure the suitability and safety of organs for transplantation and this can take time and multiple phone calls, but prospective recipients have been identified.

7pm

I travel to the donor hospital, introduce myself to staff and meet with the donor's family, taking time to explain the procedure, carrying out a health and lifestyle questionnaire and gaining consent from the designated next of kin.

Midnight

Having arranged a suitable time with the donor’s family and the local operating theatre, we proceed with the organ retrieval surgery. Constant communication and liaison with the transplanting centres are essential to safeguard both donor and potential recipients.

7am

Arrive home and update the next of kin on the outcome, thanking them and their loved one for this lifesaving and life-changing decision they have made to help others.