WEST Belfast man Marty Hamill will be forever grateful to younger brother Dermot for donating a kidney to him and transforming his life.
Speaking for the first time about his January 2025 ‘gift of life’ transplant experience at Belfast’s City Hospital, the 40-year-old civil servant and sports fanatic from Turf Lodge, but now living in Andersonstown, says his quality of life post-operation is so much better.
“The quality of my life has vastly improved,” Marty said.
“It has transformed a lot. I am not playing rugby any more but my transplant sports and football recovery is like night and day. I still have energy left, and even day to day, getting up and going to work and stuff, I am no longer feeling lethargic and beaten up.”
Marty had been back and forth to the Royal and City hospitals with illness from he was 18, and was subsequently diagnosed at 27 with IgA Nephropathy autoimmune disease, and told he would need a kidney transplant.
Marty’s body was “fighting itself” and kidney function was reducing so members of his family – mother, sister, brother Dermot and wife Catherine – got tested to see if they were suitable to be a kidney donor. Doctors decided Marty’s brother Dermot would be the best chance for him and the transplant process moved on from there.
Marty talked about the pain, exercise recovery challenges, and tiredness he had experienced ahead of getting a new kidney.
“It was my normal so I didn’t notice as much until after the transplant,” he said.
Training at the gym and playing sports had to stop for a year because medics wanted to make sure it wasn’t making his condition worse, which Marty found difficult to deal with as he loves sport so much.
“That was harsh,” he said.
Marty, right, with his brother Dermott on his 40th birthday post-transplant
Marty and Dermot then went into hospital in January 2025.
“We were the first transplant of the year,” Marty said. “We went into hospital on the Monday. Dermot is very fit. He was flying, doing brilliantly, and got out on the Thursday, and I got out on the Saturday.
“There was night and day difference in how I felt. I had bundles of energy.”
On what Dermot has done for him Marty said: “We have always been close. Dermot knows I would do it for him.
“I get emotional talking about it because I felt guilty needing a kidney. He recovered extremely well. He is working, has a young family, and it’s great to see. It makes me feel better about that.”
Over the years Marty played hurling and Gaelic football, he boxed for Holy Trinity, and played rugby for Instonians for 13 years.
He now embraces transplant sport – athletics and weightlifting – and is currently in Germany for the Transplant Football World Cup.
“It has been really good to have as an outlet,” he said. “I have done discus, shot put and javelin, so the running joke is that I'm doing well in the ‘West Belfast sports’ that involve throwing.
“With the transplant sports side of things you don’t ever have to have done sport before. I had never done athletics before. There really is something for everyone.”
Marty also spoke about the wide range of altruistic donors which exist in Irish society.
“Two guys I know, Sean and James helped out total strangers just because they could. That is huge," he said.
“They can’t play in the World Cup because they haven’t received a transplant but they help us train.
“They are inspirational because of what they have done.”
Sports play an important part in Marty's life
Marty used to deliver the Andytown News when he was younger so said he was very pleased to speak to readers in his community and beyond ahead of Organ Donation Week in the north, September 21-27.
Marty’s wife, and their three sons, have been “amazing support” throughout everything.
“I always looked after myself which is why I got 11 years out of the kidneys the way they were,” he said. “If it wasn’t for Catherine, and Dermot, I wouldn’t have recovered so well.”
He added: “TSNI, transplant sport, has helped me so much.
“I assumed I would no longer be able to play sports but that is not the case. To find out that was an outlet available to me was so helpful.
“Throughout recovery, especially in the early stages, it was something to look forward to.”
Marty’s childhood friend Michael Burns died before he was able to get a kidney transplant of his own so the West Belfast man knows how fortunate he is.
“It is amazing there are people out there willing to help strangers, and help family. I am on anti-rejection meds for life. I have a lower immune system, and you have to be careful about doing certain things, especially early on in your recovery.
“My mentality is there is always someone worse off so I do as much as I can, and make the most of it, because there are people who didn’t get to this point.”
Organ Donation Week includes The Grand Organ Donation Life Cycle in Belfast’s Grand Central Station on Thursday, September 24, from 3pm-6pm, and the Turn the Peak Pink, Slieve Donard challenge on Friday September 25.
For more about organ donation visit https://www.publichealth.hscni.net
