by Marianne Flood

The family of a man who received a live saving kidney transplant from his brother have donated £10,000 to Derry’s Renal Unit.

Joe and Paul O’Connor’s family also donated a further £10,000 to Belfast’s City Hospital Kidney Transplant Ward, where the lifesaving surgery took place.

Joe was diagnosed with kidney disease around 10 years ago, but in 2015 his kidneys began to fail and he was told he would need a transplant.

Coming from a family of 10, Joe was hopeful that a match could be found in his immediate family and tests carried out at the Renal Unit revealed that his older brother Paul was compatible.

With the support of his wife and children Paul volunteered to donate a kidney to his brother.

“I told him I had a spare part that would fit,” joked Paul.

“Once I entered into it I always knew I would go through with it if I was a match.

“After I heard I was compatible we had to wait the best part of a year for the surgery because Joe had to be ready for it.”

The surgery took place on August 31 last year and both brothers are recovering well.

“Life is a whole lot better now in every way,” said Joe.

Paul said he did not find the recovery difficult and returned to work after three months.

“There was a bit of wound pain after, but nothing that would anybody off,” he explained.

“If this was 30 or 40 years ago you wouldn’t have had a good chance of success, but the team in Belfast is ranked number one in the world.

“You wouldn’t be worrying about going into their hands.

“They have carried out 90 transplants this year and they did five last week alone.”

In order to thank Derry’s Renal Unit and Belfast’s City Hospital’s Kidney Transplant Ward for the help and care they received the Dungiven brothers and their family carried out a charity tractor run in the town in August which raised £2010.50.

“We always felt it was a good result and it was the type of thing you can’t buy so you have to keep the next people coming along,” said Paul.

Paul and Joe’s sister Kathleen McCaughey, who helped organise the fundraiser said they were overwhelmed by the generosity and support they received.

“My brothers feeling they owed a debt of gratitude to both hospitals on account of the excellent care and support they received both pre and post operatively,” she explained.

“We would like to say a massive thank you to all the people and businesses who kindly donated towards the charity and to those who gave up their time to take part in the event or helped in any way.

“The O’Connor family wish to extend their thanks to the Benedy Community Association for the assistance they provided and the use of their facilities. 

“And a thank you is also owed to Harry and Sabina O’Kane for kindly allowing participants in the tractor run to park in their field.”

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