Dialysis patient urges others to consider the ‘gift of life’

AWARENESS World Kidney Day celebrated at Cavan General

- Marc Chander -

“I bought a house, got married and had three children since my transplant, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that without my transplant. It can completely transform people’s lives.”

Those were the words of Paul Donohoe, a dialysis patient at Cavan General Hospital, and chairman of the Cavan Monaghan Irish Kidney Association (IKA) Branch. He participated in a special event at the hospital last Thursday, March 14, to mark World Kidney Day.

Paul, from near Ballyconnell ,is waiting on his second kidney transplant and is calling on people to consider organ donation to help others like him.

“I started off being a patient from very young. I had bladder reflux as a child and it damaged my kidneys irreparably, so I was a very young patient, but I was lucky enough where I didn’t need dialysis until I was thirty. I was then put on dialysis for seven months, received a successful transplant and it lasted for 27 years.”

Unfortunately that kidney has started to fail and Paul finds himself back on dialysis three times a week for four hours at a time.

“As a dialysis patient you are often very tired, and you wouldn’t have the same energy as your peers no matter what age you are. You become quite restricted as you are away three days a week, and need recovery as it can be harsh on your system,” reveals Paul.

Expanding on the need for more donors, Paul said: “It’s an important conversation to have with your family, it can take only 60 seconds, and is giving the gift of life.”

For those living with chronic kidney disease (CDK), Paul has this message of hope: “Embrace the condition, and build your condition around your life, don’t build your life around your condition. It can be hard at the beginning, not knowing what is ahead of you, but there’s also support there - whether that is within the unit [dialysis unit in Cavan hospital] or the Irish Kidney Association - you’re not on your own.”

For his own journey, Paul is delighted to have the facility of the dialysis unit locally in Cavan.

“Cavan Dialysis Unit is crucial for this area because it’s covering a huge geographical area - Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Meath, and Leitrim. Prior to this facility opening, you would’ve had to go to Dublin, like I had to, but now it takes that journey time away and it’s great there’s one in this geographical area.”

Following a four-year absence, the Irish Kidney Association is urging people to take action and prioritise kidney health, especially given its close links to diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Through initiatives like World Kidney Day and the Forget Me Not flag day, the association hopes to start a public conversation on the importance of early detection and collaborative care in managing CKD effectively.

Ciara McCaffrey is a Renal Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Cavan Renal Unit. She was among those to man a health promotion stand at the hospital last week to raise awareness of Chronic Kidney Disease.

There are about 70 patients receiving dialysis at the unit in Cavan hospital every week.

Nurse McCaffrey is also highlighting the importance of early detection.

“All it takes are simple blood and urine tests to check your kidney function. Early identification and treatment of CKD is the best way to slow progression and reduce the risk of long-term implications,” she explains.

Chronic Kidney Disease is a silent condition that can often go undetected as symptoms may not arise until the condition is quite progressive. One in 10 people in Ireland have CKD but up to 98% of people with the condition are unaware they have it. People who develop CKD are at an increased risk of serious complications including cardiovascular disease and progression to kidney failure.