This article is from page 8 of the 2013-04-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
MAUREEN Mason is alive today and living a full life thanks to the generosity of an organ donor.
And while the mother of four from Scariff is grateful for this act of generosity on her own behalf, she is also thankful to two other donor families, whose decision to donate their loved ones organs, saved and improved the standard of life of two of her brothers.
When Maureen and her brothers were teenagers their mother was diagnosed with polycystic kidneys, a hereditary disease that eventually leads to the failure of the kidneys.
The family were tested for the condition and it was discovered Maureen and two of her brothers Tommy Joe and Andrew Sheedy also had the condition.
Eight years ago Tommy Joe became very ill but by 2008 he was well enough to under go a kidney transplant.
In 2010 Maureen received the news she had been expecting but which was still a shock to the system – she would also require dialysis.
“After my brother’s diagnosis they were keeping a check on me in the renal clinic. Then in 2010 I was told I was facing dialysis, it was a terrible downer to hear it,” she said.
From that day on Maureen’s life was structured around dialysis.
Every Tuesday at midnight she would sit in the renal unit in Limerick while she received the life-sustaining treatment. On Thursday at 4pm and again on Sunday at midday the process would be repeated.
“We were made very comfortable but I was not able to sleep. There were two needles in my hand – one for the blood leaving and one for its return. You would be very conscious of that because you had to keep your hand very straight, but other than that it was comfortable. You could read and watch television,” she explained.
The Feakle native was to receive a second shock just four months after she started dialysis.
There was a kidney available for her.
“I was shocked when they called so quickly. I was told most people wait for at least two and a half years. I got the call at work. It was marvellous but then you don’t know how you feel,” she said, conscious all the time that someone else had passed away to allow her this life saving operation. The all-important call came at noon that day, and thanks to a Garda escort from Scariff to Dublin Maureen had her operation at 5pm. “The kidney worked straight away and I was discharged six days later,” she said. “I am so grateful to the family who made the decision to donate at a very difficult time. It was a happy time for me but I was aware that it was a sad time for someone else. He or she [the donor] is always in my thoughts and prayers,” she said.
“Hundreds die every year waiting for a call. I was lucky.”
Since her transplant, Maureen has the freedom to live a life free of dialysis, full of energy and free of dietary restrictions.
She now enjoys spending time with family and friends, and of course chocolate, coffee, milk and other treats again.
“On dialysis it is difficult to arrange anything.”
In 2011, Andrew, Maureen’s younger brother was the third member of the family to receive a kidney transplant.
Maureen said that she would encourage people to carry a donor card and speak to their families about any such decision.
She thanked her employer and the local community for their support and assistance with fundraising for the IKA.