Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
We’ve hit our stride after David got his dad’s kidney
Mum helps boost organ donor week
BEING able to play in the park is something most families take for granted.
But watching their son run around their local playground in North Belfast, Elizabeth and Jim Mckenna’s eyes fill with tears of joy.
Two years ago David could barely move without assistance and was constantly in and out of hospital after being born with kidney failure.
But now he is just like any other six-year-old after his dad donated an organ to save his son’s life.
Elizabeth said: “We are exhausted now because he is living life to the full. Before the transplant he did not have any energy.
“He could not walk unaided before because he didn’t have the balance but now he is off round the park on his own. We couldn’t enjoy that before, it is things like that other people take for granted.
“It has transformed his life, he can eat food he has never tasted before. He is living life to the full.”
The mum was speaking as part of Organ Donation Week when she told how David, a P2 pupils at St Therese of Lisieux Primary School, was born with kidney failure and had to be tube-fed for the first four years of his life. The public servant added: “He is a character, very mischievous. When he was born he did not feed very well and I felt he was not very responsive.
“Even though David was our first child, I have been around enough children to know something wasn’t right, he had lost a lot of weight.”
Doctors found his kidney was only functioning at 18% but his body fought back so he could go home, however, for the first two years he was in and out of hospitals to be treated for infections.
Elizabeth said: “When he got to four he needed a transplant or dialysis. Myself and Jim were tested and he was a match.”
In October 2016, David and his taxi driver dad were admitted to separate hospitals for the transplant.
Elizabeth said: “Jim took it in his stride, was out within 24 hours.
“He was sent home with paracetamol. It took him two weeks to get fully back to strength.”
And David, who took part in the Transplant
Games this year winning a silver and bronze, is now thriving. Elizabeth said: “He had not been able to eat anything by mouth so he woke up and he was hungry but didn’t know what he wanted. His favourite is chocolate cake.” In order to raise awareness for Organ Donation Week and generate funds for Children’s Kidney Fund NI, the mum abseiled down the Europa Hotel in Belfast.
She also hopes to donate a kidney later in her life to help someone else in need.
Talking about her charity stunt, Elizabeth said: “It was a bit scary. The night before was worse, I did not sleep all night.
“I was petrified but once I got over the edge it was like anything, the thought of it was worse. Now we are nearly two years posttransplant and I just thought I have to do something. “David was shouting, ‘Go mummy’, which was lovely. I thought I could raise money for the Children’s Kidney Fund NI as they have been fantastic.”
To donate funds,visit www.gofundme.com/ childrens-kidneyfund-ni.