Teenage GAA player’s organ donation after tragic death showed his ‘generosity of spirit’ – The Irish News

The parents of a teenage south Belfast GAA player have spoken of their pride at his decision to become an organ donor which lead to him saving multiple lives after his tragic death in 2022.Fionntán McGarvey, 18, had been in the first year of an engineering degree at Queen’s University before his death in January 2022. The St Brigid’s player had been hospitalised after an assault outside a bar in south Belfast on 27 December 2021 and later died from his injuries.An inquest into his death is in the preliminary stages.As part of Organ Donation Week, Fionntán’s parents Aveen and Lorcan have spoken publicly for the first time about his decision to be an organ donor, which they say reflected his “generosity of spirit”.A branch of the UK charity We Are Donors, dedicated to educating young people about organ donation, has been set up in Belfast in Fionntán’s memory and is the charity’s first in Northern Ireland. “Fionntán was the youngest of our four children,” mum Aveen said.“He was probably a typical youngest child, got away with a lot. He loved sport, played probably a very large part of his life. He loved Gaelic football.“When Fionntán was 17, like most people, he applied for his provisional driving license and as part of that he had to fill in the form regarding organ donation.“In January 2022 Fionntán suffered a head injury.“We knew he wanted to be on the organ donor register. So we knew Fionntán’s wishes and that was the only thing that mattered.“I think it was part of Fionntán’s generosity of spirit, his generous personality.“It’s extremely important to let your loved ones and your family know about your wishes, because they are the ones who will be making the decision.”Dad Lorcan spoke about his son’s passion for the GAA and the pride with which his family held for the talented teenager.“That was a big part of his life, I remember bringing him to matches from when he was very young right the way through until he was playing with a big team and he loved it,” Lorcan said.“He was very passionate and he was pretty good and we were very proud of him.”His father spoke of his surprise when Fionntán declared he had wanted to become an organ donor, and how that decision helped to manage their grief in the aftermath of his death.“I remember him saying, ‘you know dad I’ve ticked the box for organ donation’. I immediately said, well son you’ll not need that. I don’t think I thought much more about it if I’m honest.“We knew that he was not going to survive. When the medical team came to talk to us about what we were somewhat expectant of, we had to as a family talk about it.“The reality is it does not come in a planned, organised way. It comes suddenly and in the awfulness often of accidents and tragedy.“For parents and loved ones, knowing that their cherished individual wished to be an organ donor is something that helps manage something that is almost unmanageable.”A film featuring Aveen and Lorcan has been released by the We Are Donors charity as demand for organ transplantation reaches its highest level on record.Across the UK, more than 8,000 people are currently waiting for a transplant, including 157 people in Northern Ireland, and last year 463 people died while waiting for a suitable organ.“Behind every statistic is a person hoping for more time and a family waiting for good news,” said Dr Zaha Kamran Siddiqui, National Education Lead, We Are Donors. “Fionntán’s decision to become an organ donor has already saved lives, and his family’s courage in sharing their story has the power to inspire many more people to do the same. “Our message is simple: watch the film, register your decision, and tell your loved ones what you want. That conversation could one day save a life.”



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