Iarla Fahy Rabbitt of Colemanstown along with his liver donor's mother Denise Fahy.photo: Conor McCabe Photography.
Her mother was a live liver donor
Colemanstown families share their incredible stories as they try to highlight the life-changing effects of organ donation during Organ Donor Awareness Week.
Dennis Fahi Rabbit donated a portion of his liver to his 5-year-old son, Iara in 2022.
Iarla was born with biliary atresia, a rare and serious liver condition affecting newborns. At just two years old, he was placed on the liver transplant list, and the long wait for the donor began.
For three years, his family waited as his son's health had deteriorated and wanted a call that never came.
Ultimately, after initial resistance from the medical team, they agreed to evaluate Dennis as a living donor. She was approved after a rigorous examination despite being diagnosed with hemochromatosis, a condition that can cause iron overload and affect liver health.
“I knew I had to give it a try. The idea that I could give a future to Iara even at risk was more powerful than fear. It's a surprising feeling like a mother to know I can help,” she explained.
The Iraa case is understood to be the only known example in the world of live liver donations from people with hemochromatosis.
Now 9 years old, Iara is thriving. Last summer he even had the opportunity to compete with other Irish ported children and adults in the British ported game, where he won a medal in table tennis.
“When we see a healthy, life-filled Iara, it's worth everything we've experienced. He's proud of us every day,” Dennis added.
The family shares their stories as part of Organ Donor Awareness Week, which begins Sunday, May 10th and runs through May 17th.
The campaign, sponsored by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA), highlights the life-changing impact of organ donation by sharing inspiring stories of families like Dennis and Iara.
In 2024, 263 organ transplants were carried out thanks to the generosity of 84 deceased donors and 30 kidney donors.
Currently, over 600 people have adopted a waiting list for transplants for organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas, with over 500 of them waiting for a kidney transplant alone, making the need for a nationwide conversation about organ donation more urgent than ever.
“We need to always remember that without organ donation there is no transplant,” said Carol Moore, CEO of the Irish Kidney Association.
“It is important to remember that in medically possible organ donation situations, they usually die in hospital intensive care units. This statistics highlight how rare the opportunities for organ donation are.”
Dennis and her family hope that sharing their stories might encourage others to consider organ donation.
