Boy has 'sparkle' back after 8 year wait for heart transplant
A ten-year-old boy from Northern Ireland has successfully received a heart transplant after an eight-year wait. The child, who previously inspired changes to local organ donation laws, is recovering well following the surgery in Newcastle.
Why it matters
The story highlights the life-saving impact of organ donation advocacy and the personal journey of a child who became a symbol for legislative reform.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Finn Purdy BBC News NI Máirtín Mac Gabhann Dáithí Mac Gabhann received a heart transplant after an eight year wait A nine-year-old boy who inspired changes to Northern Ireland's organ donation laws has received a heart transplant after an eight-year wait.
Dáithí Mac Gabhann's father had said he is so grateful that his son "has a new beautiful heart beating inside him" and that he has made "amazing progress over the last few days" since his operation.
Dáithí was born in 2016 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, meaning the left side of his heart did not form correctly.
His family said they said they were "beyond grateful to Dáithí's donor and their family for making such a selfless decision at the most difficult time imaginable".
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