The Late Late Show

They were sharing their story to highlight this week's Organ Donor Awareness Week which is organised by the Irish Kidney Association and to give hope to people ...

I was one of the first patients to go into the paired exchange programme in 2011 in Coventry and I received a transplant in March 2019. My best friend from birth Aine donated a kidney to a stranger in London to enable me to get a successful kidney from an altruistic female donor from Scotland. Aine and I were born in the same hospital on the same day in 1968. We could all see her deteriorate over the years and it was heart-breaking to watch as when we used to go for walks she would have to link into my arm for support. She described her health journey "I was on the transplant list for 7 years and received a transplant that lasted for 15 years and I am very grateful to the family of the kidney donor who gave me this transformational new lease of life. The duo spent part of national school and all of secondary school together before sharing a flat in Dublin when they came to work there where they eventually settled. But the road to Sheila’s second transplant took 19 years, with Aine also going into the programme in the hope that she could be a donor.