A Galway father and daughter will be part of the team representing Ireland at the British Transplant Games, due to take place in Coventry, UK from today (Thursday ).
Ahead of the games Paddy Browne, who donated part of his liver to his daughter Sadhbh, is encouraging everyone, and particularly organ recipients, to make the most of life.
Mr Browne, a native of County Galway and eHealth director of nursing at Saolta University Health Care Group, spoke about the experience ahead of Sadhbh's appearance at the British Transplant Games.
Sadhbh Browne was four years old when she received a partial liver transplant from her father in 2019.
“Sadhbh was born with a rare liver condition, and subsequently developed serious liver complications that required a liver transplant," Paddy Browne recalled. "Following the transplant, Sadhbh had a long but steady road to recovery and now, thankfully, she is living her best life and will demonstrate it when she represents Transplant Sport Ireland at the British Transplant Games in Coventry from July 27 to 30. I am so proud of Sadhbh and how far she has come.”
Sadhbh and Paddy Browne will represent Ireland for the first time and join fellow athletes from Transplant Sport Ireland at the games.
The four day sports competition will see heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, bone marrow transplant recipients, kidney dialysis patients and live donors from all over the UK, Ireland and Australia compete.
This year, Transplant Sport Ireland has 26 transplanted adults, five transplanted underage athletes, and three living donors competing from all around the country, making it the largest ever Irish team to compete at these games. Transplant survivors, including children as young as five, can compete in more than 25 sports with many of them going on to compete at the World Transplant Games.
“Life is a precious gift and organ donation and transplantation offers inspiration to those who are newly transplanted or newly diagnosed with organ failure," Mr Browne added. "Organ donation saves lives. It's important to have those conversations at home and carry your organ donor card, because God forbid, if the unexpected happens, there's no question as to what your wish was."
