A nine-year-old boy who waited eight years for a heart transplant has finally left hospital after receiving a donor heart. Dáithí Mac Gabhann, from Belfast, has spent most of his life with a rare heart condition, hoping a suitable organ would become available.
During that time, Dáithí and his family became prominent campaigners. In 2023, the Northern Irish assembly passed Dáithí's law, bringing organ donation rules in line with the rest of the UK. This introduced an "opt-out" system for organ donation. Dáithí had been waiting for a transplant since 2018 and was under the care of the Freeman Hospital children's transplant team.
Leaving hospital with a guard of honour
Now, after his transplant, Dáithí has left ward 23 to a guard of honour and the sound of the Rocky anthem "Eye of the Tiger." In a post on the Donate4Dáithí page, the family said: "After over eight years of coming to Ward 23, Dáithí officially left today with the greatest gift of all - the gift of life, the gift of a new heart."
"No better song for this guy to walk out to, as Dáithí very clearly has the Eye of the Tiger. Ward 23 - there are actually no words to express our gratitude." While he has left hospital, Dáithí will remain on Tyneside for a few more weeks as he continues his recovery.
Father's joy after transplant
Last month, Dáithí's father, Mairtin Mac Gabhann, confirmed his son had had his transplant and would now be able to "make the absolute most of life." Mairtin said: "As soon as (Dáithí) came back from the transplant, even though he was hooked up to wires and ventilators, one thing was very clear: his pink lips, his pink fingers, his warm hands, his warm feet, his warm toes – just something that he’s never had before."
"His freckles were just blowing, but when he was blue, you couldn’t even see all this. We always knew he had freckles, but I mean you want to see how popping these freckles are. It’s just unbelievable."
Campaigning legacy
Mairtin Mac Gabhann was made an MBE in 2024, and Dáithí was awarded the freedom of Belfast in 2023 for their campaigning work. The soft opt-out law brought in in his name remains in place, but it remains important that people across the UK discuss their wish to donate organs after death with loved ones, as families are still in practice able to change their mind.
To find out more, or confirm your support for organ donation, visit organdonation.nhs.uk, call 0300 123 23 23, or use the NHS app. It is important to tell loved ones about your decision, as while the system is now "opt-out," it is common for families to overrule a loved one's decision.
