A WEST Belfast boy who is on the waiting list for a heart transplant, has unveiled a very special doll installation created in his name at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
Dáithí Mac Gabhann (7) from Ballymurphy inspired a change to organ donation laws last year, meaning that most adults are considered potential donors unless they opt-out or are in an excluded group.
Dáithí's Doll symbolises the life of a child waiting for an organ transplant and is part of the ‘Waiting to Live’ campaign which features 230 handmade dolls placed in hospitals and other key locations.
The dolls represent children who continue to wait for a transplant due to the shortage of child organ donors.
Each doll carries a badge with a QR code, allowing anyone to hear the stories of these children, in the hope of encouraging more families to consider organ donation and join the NHS Organ Donor Register. It is hoped that the campaign will “normalise” conversations around child organ donation, and the doll displays will spark that conversation.
Dáithí’s dad Máirtín Mac Gabhann, said: “Our family is deeply moved by the launch of this special doll representing Dáithí, which will raise much-needed awareness for paediatric organ donation.
"For over six years, Dáithí has been waiting for the gift of a new heart, and we hope this doll will inspire more families to join the organ donor register, offering hope to children like our Dáithí. We encourage people to scan the barcode and to listen to Dáithí’s story, from his own mouth.
"We’re delighted also that this doll has found a home in the Children’s Hospital in Belfast, a place Dáithí sometimes calls his second home. This hospital has been a source of comfort and care for our family, and we’re grateful to see this part of Dáithí’s journey here, which will hopefully spark a few life-saving conversations about organ donation.”
Jaclyn Jamison, Play Services Co-Ordinator at Belfast Trust added: “Staff at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children are proud supporters of the Waiting to Live Campaign to shine a light on all of the children currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
"We are very privileged to have Dáithí’s doll with his story to tell and hope that it encourages parents to consider adding their child to the organ donation register through this campaign."
Sue Duncalf, Regional Head of Nursing – Organ Donation, Northern Ireland, from NHS Blood and Transplant NI Team praised the campaign and the unveiling.
“For many children on the transplant waiting list, their only hope is the parent of another child saying 'yes' to organ donation at a time of immense sadness and personal grief. Yet, families tell us that agreeing to organ donation can also be a source of great comfort and pride.
"When organ donation becomes a possibility, it is often in very sudden or unexpected circumstances. When families have already had the opportunity to consider organ donation previously or know already it is something they support, it makes a difficult situation that bit easier.
"By encouraging more families to confirm their support for organ donation on the NHS Organ Donor Register, we hope to be able to save more lives of children.
"This is a powerful campaign and hopefully the display of Dáithí’s doll will bring this topic to the forefront of people’s minds.”
