Beaumont staff like family, say transplant twins

Noeleen Diskin didn’t think twice about donating her kidney to her identical twin sister, Helen Keogh.

Helen, who received her sister’s kidney in January last year, does not need to take any anti-rejection drugs because the transplanted organ is a perfect match.

The sisters, who live a few streets away from each other in Lucan, Co Dublin, have always been close, but people have remarked they have become more alike since the transplant procedure.

Noeleen and Helen joined a group of patients who returned to Beaumont Hospital yesterday to honour their “healthcare heroes”, an annual event now in its 4th year.

The sisters hugged and kissed the hospital’s chief medical scientist, Derek O’Neill, and other members of the transplant team.

“We regard the staff as family so there are always lots of hugs every time we meet,” said Noeleen.

Helen said she had been told in 2002 that the failure of her kidneys was a side-effect of drugs she had been taking to manage Crohn’s disease and that she would need a transplant.

Noeleen immediately offered to donate one of her kidneys but the transplant operation was not conducted for 12 years because Helen’s condition remained stable for more than a decade.

“It was great knowing I had an identical twin who was ready to give me her kidney — but I was warned to put her at the top of my Christmas card list and not to row with her,” said Helen.

Identical twins Helen Keogh and Noeleen Diskin, from Lucan, Co Dublin. Noeleen donated a kidney to Helen last year.

Noeleen recovered quickly from the transplant while Helen went from being sick to being suddenly well.

“My two children — my daughter will celebrate her 21st birthday next month and my son is aged 19 — they never knew me when I was well,” said Helen.

Noeleen said living near each other helped the recovery process: “We went walking together and got well together because we were on the same path to recovery.”

Another patient who returned to the hospital to say thanks was Donall Carville, from Armagh, who was in his early 20s when he suffered severe head injuries, broke his neck, and fractured his skull in a car accident in 2011.

The young farmer, now 26, was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he spent three months in intensive care. “I was given the last rites three times. It is a kind of miracle that I am here today,” said Donall, who thanked consultant neurosurgeon David O’Brien.

Honour Your Heroes — organised by Beaumont Hospital Foundation — lets patients pass on their special thanks to a staff member or team.