Father and daughter awaiting kidney transplants issue donor card plea

A father and daughter who are both awaiting kidney transplants have made a heartfelt plea for people to carry a donor card.

Tom and Noreen O’Halloran suffer from hereditary polycystic kidney disease, and are both on dialysis treatment.

Mr O’Halloran, 64, has had two transplants but is waiting for an emergency call from Beaumont Hospital since his last kidney failed in 2005.

His 35-year-old daughter, who was married in April, said her life has been at a standstill since she started dialysis over 14 months ago.

“When you are doing dialysis four times a day, seven days a week, it feelslike a lifetime,” she said.

Mr O’Halloran travels from Ballylanders, Co Limerick, to Limerick Regional Hospital three times a week for dialysis.

His daughter, from Mitchelstown, Co Cork, said every day has to be planned to precision and timetabled around dialysis, while her wish to start a family with her husband Brendan is on hold until after a transplant.

She believes if more people understood kidney failure, they would requesta donor card by texting the word DONOR to 50050.

Through her blog — kidneyfailuremystory.com — she gives an honest account of life on dialysis.

“Some charities are asking for money, but we are just asking for asignature,” she said.