Marian's story

As I awakened at 4.20am on a Tuesday morning in July, 1999 to the sound of my husband Teddy telling me he had a very bad headache, I could also hear the birds singing outside welcoming another warm sunny morning. 

How the next few minutes would change our lives forever.  At. 4.40 am Teddy was unconscious from which he never regained. He had suffered a massive brain haemororrhage, was taken to our local hospital in Castlebar and transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin at 8 a.m.                                                                                                                                                    

On Thursday night at 11.50 Teddy passed away. When we were approached about organ donation it was a shock to realise this was happening, however our three children all said yes. We had no hesitation as Teddy had an organ donor card which helped us in making the decision. Teddy's kidneys and liver were all successfully transplanted, and I can honestly say it helped us cope with the pain that followed his sudden death. He was just 48 years and a very healthy man. We had been due to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in October 1999, but God had other plans. 

Our children and myself all hold donor cards and we attend the Annual Thanksgiving Ceremony which bring tears, but also makes us very proud of our Dad and my husband Teddy who we will never forget.