Limerick man enjoys special Father's Day after donating kidney to teenager daughter

THIS FATHER’s Day was extra special for one Limerick man who donated a kidney to his teenage daughter almost a year ago.

After suffering from kidney failure which blighted most of her teens, 18-year-old Ali Kelly has more reason than most to celebrate as she approaches the first anniversary of the organ transplant.

Third time was the charm for the Ali and her father Joe as the scheduled transplant operation was previously deferred on two occasions because unsatisfactory blood results.

But on July 4, 2022, life changed for the Kelly family who live in Newport, County Tipperary.

Ali and her parents, Limerick natives Joe and Virginia, celebrated Father’s Day with a special meal and now that Ali is independent of her dialysis treatment, the family has made plans to spend the first 'transplant anniversary' on holiday in sunny Spain - their first holiday abroad in years.

The youngest of four children, Ali was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease, a hereditary kidney condition in which clusters of cysts develop within the kidneys.

After spending much of her early years at the hospital and being tube-fed, she underwent her first kidney transplant at four years old. Made possible by a deceased donor, the transplant allowed Ali to enjoy a normal childhood and early teenage years.

But when she was 14 years old, her kidney began to fail and she had to return to dialysis treatment at the age of 15 - a treatment which continued for two and a half years.

At first, Ali was hooked up to a dialysis machine at home every night for 14 hours but after nearly two years, she got to a hospital-based haemodialysis treatment. By then, she had to go to the hospital four days a week and undergo five hours of dialysis treatment.

This time, finding a suitable kidney donor for Ali was complicated.

However, her father, Joe, didn’t hesitate to put himself forward to be screened as a potential living kidney donor.

And, almost a year later with a new spring in her step, Ali says she now feels great. “I have loads of energy. Before my transplant I was so weak and could barely walk from one room to another without being out of breath. I no longer have tubes attached to my body and I am not feeling as self-conscious. It’s great that I can wear whatever clothes I want now, not having to consider my weight fluctuating or experiencing bloating. I have always had an interest in fashion and beauty and now that I am well enough I am looking into a career as a beauty technician.”

Ali says it was difficult to find words to express her gratitude towards her father, and she described the kidney transplant as the “best gift” she could ever have hoped for.

“I love him with all my heart and my mother also. They have always put my needs before theirs,” she said.

“Life is good” for Ali now and she intends to make the most out of the chances that have been given to her. By sharing her story, she hopes people will understand how important organ donation is.

Speaking of the successful transplant operation, Joe said: “It’s so rewarding for our family to see Ali enjoying good health and getting her life back. There was no sacrifice on my part. It was awful to watch her struggle and donating my ‘spare’ kidney to her was the easiest decision to make.”

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Individuals who wish to support organ donation are encouraged to share their wishes with their family and keep the reminders of their decision available by carrying the organ donor card, permitting Code 115 to be included on their driver’s licence or having the ‘digital organ donor card’ App on their smartphone.

Organ Donor Cards can be requested by visiting ika.ie, calling the Irish Kidney Association on 01 6205306 or Free text the word DONOR to 50050.