Organ donors a 'ray of hope' for people on transplant waiting lists
Lorna McSwiggan with her daughter Nadia. Ms McSwiggan has been waiting for a kidney donor since her renal condition began in 2019. Picture: Conor McCabe
A nurse and mother of two children waiting for a kidney donor has said "being able to live long enough to see my children grow up would be the greatest gift I could ever receive."
Lorna McSwiggan, 40, is a dialysis patient and has been cocooning for over a year. Just after last Christmas, her husband Richard Martin and daughter Nadia tested positive for Covid-19 however luckily Ms McSwiggan tested negative.
In June, 2019, she suffered kidney failure and had to give birth to her daughter Nadia through an emergency C-section. Born two months prematurely, Nadia weighed just three pounds four ounces and needed CPR within a month of being born.
The baby was transferred to the Neonatal Unit at the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street, Dublin while her mother was transferred to St. Vincent’s Hospital for treatment where she remained for almost a week before she could be reunited with her new-born.
Ms McSwiggan and her daughter later came home safely to her family a few weeks later and has been doing well since with her husband Richard Martin and eldest child, Kai aged 12.
Now, the Dublin mother is on the waiting list for a kidney transplant and said that "organ donors offer a ray of hope’ and is sharing her story in support of Organ Donor Awareness Week 2021.
"Regrettably, none of my family, although willing, are suitable living kidney donors for me so I live in hope for a deceased donor kidney. Organ donors offer a ray of hope to me and others on transplant waiting lists and to our families also,” she said.
Ms McSwiggan said she wants to help raise public awareness about the importance of organ donation and especially for the 550 or more people and their families who are affected and are waiting for life saving organ transplants including hearts, lungs livers, kidneys and pancreas.
More than 2,300 people are undergoing dialysis treatment in Ireland. Ms McSwiggan worked as a nurses with kidney patient children before her kidney failure and has not been able to work since.
“I started dialysis treatment in June 2019 as I went into renal failure during pregnancy with Nadia. I have a renal condition called Alport Syndrome and I am the only known family member with this condition.
"Due to my kidney failure I am currently unable to return to my job nursing as I would find it impossible to tolerate with its long hours and the physical impact of my condition.
"The pandemic has also impacted on my ability to work as I am so high risk and I have been cocooning for over a year. I have been on the transplant waiting list since March 2020," she said.
There are between 550 and 600 people on waiting lists for organ transplants including heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas in Ireland.
Last year there was a fall in the number of transplants across all the national transplant programmes.
The Irish Kidney Association said while the 190 transplants carried out in 2020 were 84 less than in 2019, the thoughtfulness of the 62 deceased donors last year amid the pandemic is inspiring.
Organ Donor Awareness Week 2021 continues until this Saturday, April 3.
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