Boy who inspired organ donation law in NI gets new heart after 8-year wait
Dáithí Mac Gabhann, a nine-year-old boy who campaigned for organ donation law reform in Northern Ireland, has successfully received a heart transplant. He is currently recovering well after an eight-year wait for a donor.
Why it matters
The story underscores the life-saving impact of organ donation and the personal success of a high-profile advocate for medical policy change.
Image source, Máirtín Mac Gabhann Image caption, 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".
Image source, Máirtín McGabhann Image caption, The operation was carried out at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in