Galwayman’s new lease of life after kidney transplant during Covid

Liam Higgins (55) watched his mother Maisie’s funeral on a laptop in his Cregmore home near Claregalway.

Not being there in-person was “horrible . . . indescribable,” he said.

It was mid-March 2020, just as an unknown killer virus, Covid-19, had arrived in Ireland.

Restrictions hadn’t yet been imposed, but as a dialysis patient, Liam had a chest port and was susceptible to infection. The native of Carnacon in Mayo, after consultation with family and medical team, opted to stay at home.

“I couldn’t take the chance . . . shaking hands, hugs and kisses and everything. It was tough, but if it had been anyone else’ funeral my mum would’ve said ‘stay home’,” he said.

Amber, a border collie adopted from MADRA, sat at his feet that day, which was unusual for her. “I took comfort from that,” said Liam, who teaches adult education in Loughrea and Ballinasloe.

The emotion in Liam’s voice highlights how hurt he still is when he thinks about his mother’s death two days before learning of his life-changing news.

“She died on Wednesday, on the Friday I was told officially I was on the transplant list. It wasn’t easy,” he said.

But two years on from that grief, Liam’s life has been transformed, thanks to a       kidney transplant from his younger brother, Martin, last year.

Read Liam’s full, uplifting story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie

This is Organ Donor Awareness Week; for more information, go to www.ika.ie/donorweek2022