Case study: teacher on list for kidney and pancreas transplant

Dublin-based schoolteacher Rachel O’Hora recently received the good news that she had officially been placed on the waiting list for her urgently needed kidney and pancreas transplant surgery and that a locum surgeon had been secured.

Originally from Bohola, Co Mayo, she was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of eight. In 2010, aged 27, she discovered she had developed chronic kidney disease and is on dialysis nine hours every night. “My condition leaves me feeling constantly tired,” Rachel said. “My need for dialysis makes it impossible to lead a normal life.”

She had been waiting eight months to find out if a transplant operation would happen. "The time I spent waiting, not knowing, was really hard," said Rachel. "I felt like I was in suspended animation, knowing that the surgery that I needed to improve my quality of life was not available to me here in Ireland. "

She is unable to travel for medical assistance abroad due to her condition.“I am delighted to be accepted onto the list. Now it’s just a matter of waiting,” Rachel said.

The average wait for a kidney transplant in Ireland is two to 2½ years. However the fact Rachel requires both a kidney and pancreas transplant may see her receiving surgery sooner. “I have my bag packed and waiting just in case and my phone never leaves my sight.

“My hopes for after the transplant are to do justice to my donor. I want to live a normal, healthy, happy life and I will work hard to keep my organs safe. I want to continue teaching, get married and pursue my hobbies without worrying about my health and fatigue. I want to be me.”