‘No need’ for transplant teen to relocate

THE father of a Co Leitrim teenager who needs a liver transplant said he has been reassured that there is no need to relocate his family to Dublin or London to ensure her place on the waiting list for a donor organ.

Joe McGivern said that he had confirmed with King’s College Hospital in London that his 14-year-old daughter, Meadhbh, remains on the priority list for receiving an organ from a “non-heartbeating donor.”

It follows a recommendation in a report by the Health Information and Quality Authority that said the Health Service Executive should ensure that processes were in place to involve the parents of potential liver transplant recipients in discussions regarding the logistical suitability of allocating an organ to their child.

The report said such discussions were designed to enable parents of patients, who live more than three hours travel time from the UK hospital where the operation will be carried out, make informed decisions about possibly relocating to Dublin or London while they were awaiting such a donor organ.

However, Mr McGivern said he was satisfied that the family can continue living at home in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim.

“We have checked with King’s College Hospital and there is a window of between four and eight hours for donors of non-heartbeating donors,” said Mr McGivern.

He said he understood that at least one other British hospital had stipulated a three-hour travel limit for patients to avail of an organ from donors who are classified as technically dead.

Although Mr McGivern said he was shocked by the report’s findings, he has expressed confidence that plans are now in place to ensure that Meadhbh would be able to travel to London in sufficient time if they receive news of another donor organ.

Mr McGivern admitted he had made alternative transport plans in case no aircraft is available from the Air Corps or Irish Coast Guard. In the event that none of the state agencies can provide an aircraft, Mr McGivern said they had arranged to use a private air ambulance located at Weston Airport in Leixlip, Co Kildare.

He also said the family intended to start travelling towards Dublin as soon as they got another call about a donor organ so they would have the option of using aircraft based at Dublin Airport, Baldonnel and Weston.

The HIQA report was commissioned by Health Minister James Reilly after no aircraft could be found in time to transport Meadhbh, 14, to London on July 2 last after she had received news that a suitable liver transplant was available.

It blamed the absence of a single coordinating agency or individual with overall charge of a patient’s transport arrangements for the failure to get Meadhbh to King’s College Hospital.