OVER 50 years ago people with chronic kidney failure had little chance of survival as there was no treatment available to them at that time.
Essentially a diagnosis of kidney failure was a death sentence.
But on December 19, 1963, a young man called Ted Tobin, an accomplished musician from Crumlin, made Irish medical history.
The 21-year-old underwent Ireland’s first ever kidney transplant operation at the old St Vincent’s Hospital, located on St Stephen’s Green.
Then, over half a century later his niece, Fiona O’Donovan, underwent a successful transplant 4,000 miles away in the United States.
While she was waiting for the results of her pre-transplant final tests for what’s now considered to be a fairly routine operation, Fiona thought of her uncle Ted who bravely faced the first ever kidney transplant surgery in Ireland with uncertain outcomes.
Fiona and Ted’s brother and sisters (Paul, Jean and Sylvia) shared his story during Organ Donor Awareness Week and celebrated Ted’s life and legacy which has inspired hope in many patients with end stage renal failure.
Fiona said:
“Few people in the medical and transplant world today know little about this courageous 21-year-old Dubliner who helped advance medical knowledge and inspired hope in many patients with end stage renal failure including myself and members of my family who ultimately followed in his footsteps.
“For myself and my family, Ted is an unsung hero who not only contributed to the medical understanding of early kidney transplantation, but also gave hope to both patients and the medical community about the possibilities of what ultimately could be achieved.
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Ted’s ground-breaking transplant was widely documented in newspapers creating a media and medical buzz as it was acknowledged to be the first transplant operation, a kidney transplant, in Ireland.
In the early post transplant days, there was a sense of optimism as Ted’s newly grafted kidney was functioning successfully and showing good promise.
Sadly, just two months after Ted’s operation he passed away on February 16, 1964.
His hopes to attend his sister’s (Fiona’s mother) wedding two months later were not realised. Ted passed away from a setback resulting in the rejection of the donated kidney.
The doctors were granted permission by Ted’s parents (Fiona’s grandparents) Eddie and Rosanne Tobin to do a post mortem to find out more about the kidney failure which might help other kidney patients.
A press release issued by St Vincent’s Hospital at the time stated:
“The partial success and ultimate failure of this attempt emphasises both hope for the future and the difficulties involved.
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The statement added:
“It was clear that the techniques in the operation gave hope to some other cases of otherwise irreversible kidney failure.
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Fiona said Ted was remembered by those who knew him as a good quiet lad, and an unassuming and a brilliant musician.
Ted’s father Eddie Tobin was a popular musician and banjoist fondly known as
‘The Wizard of the G Banjo’.
Following in his father’s footsteps, from a young age Ted was an accomplished wind instrumentalist who won many music awards including the McCullough Trophy, two gold medals at the Feis Ceoil, and a scholarship to study music in London.
This was achieved by no less than eight hours practice a day. He was also a member of the Tommy O’Brien Dance Band in Clery’s Ballroom located on O’Connell Street.
His brother Paul recalls having to carry Ted’s instruments to the gig as Ted had become weaker from irreversible kidney disease.
Eventually Ted was hospitalised as his kidneys failed and the doctors felt a transplant was the only option for him.
Fiona, who now resides in Florida, added:
“Ironically I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease in 2005, exactly two years after I had signed my organ donor card.
“Just before I was due to go on dialysis, I was blessed to receive a deceased donor kidney in February 2014 after 14 short months on the waiting list.
“As a recipient I am deeply humbled by the generous forethought of my donor and the kindness of her family who gave me such a precious gift at a sad and difficult time in their lives.
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Beaumont Hospital conducted 158 transplant operations in 2014, of which 112 were kidney transplants from deceased donors; six included a pancreas and a record 40 transplants were from living kidney donors.
Since the Living Donor Kidney Programme commenced at Beaumont Hospital eight years ago a total of 195 living donor kidney transplants have taken place. Nowadays a quarter of all kidney transplants are from living donors with a record 40 being carried out last year.
Last year was a record year for paediatric kidney transplants in Ireland with a total of 19 children receiving kidney transplants. Now only 16 children are receiving dialysis treatment, 11 less than a year ago. There are 1,894 people in Ireland receiving dialysis treatment.
In an Oireactas report this week the Minster for Health Leo Varadkar confirmed that there are 585 people in the kidney transplant waiting pools and combined with heart, lung and liver the total number of people awaiting transplantation is over 694.
The focus of Organ Donor Awareness Week is to raise awareness about the ongoing and ever increasing demand for transplantation which relies on the public for organ donation.
Families need to talk together and keep the reminders of their willingness to donate visible by carrying the organ donor card, downloading the Smartphone App and permitting Code 115 to be included on their driver’s licence.
Organ Donor Awareness Week also serves as a fundraising exercise for the Irish Kidney Association. Throughout the week the association’s volunteers were out on the streets, and in shopping centres throughout the country, selling
‘forget-me-not-flower’ emblems, brooches, pens and shopping trolley discs.
All proceeds go towards the Irish Kidney Association’s aid for patients on dialysis and those patients fortunate enough to have received a kidney transplant.
The Irish Kidney Association’s charitable activities include the provision of a 13 double bedroom free accommodation facility for patients and their families in the grounds of Beaumont Hospital and holiday centres located in Tramore and Kerry. They also offer patient advocacy, advice, financial aid and rehabilitative, health promotion and the provision of kidney patient information and education.
This year the IKA is introducing another fundraising technique. You can text
‘kidney’ to 50300 and
?¬2 will be donated from your mobile phone account to the IKA.
The Irish Kidney Association is the national organisation charged with the promotion and distribution of the organ donor card in Ireland, on behalf of Organ Donation Transplant Ireland.
Free information fact files, which accompany organ donor cards, are obtainable from the Irish Kidney Association and are available nationwide from pharmacies and information offices.
Organ Donor Cards can also be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association LoCall 1890 543639 or Freetext the word DONOR to 50050. Visit the website www.ika.ie
It is now possible to store an organ donor card, the
‘ecard’ on Smart mobile phones. Simply search for
‘Donor ECard’ at the IPhone Store or Android Market Place.