Beaumont's Pancreas & Living Donor Programmes

Stories from Beaumont’s successful Pancreas Transplant Programme and Living Donor Programme.

The Pancreas Transplant Programme began as a pilot study in Beaumont Hospital in 1992 and to date 109 transplants have been performed.   In 2008 the transplant rate was 2.7 transplants per million of population which ranks Ireland joint third with the UK in the world league table, as reported by the Council of Europe, just behind Austria and the USA.

The success of the programme has borne witness by the life changing rehabilitation as exemplified by so many of the recipients.  Fiona, a recipient who received a combined kidney and pancreas transplant in December 2002, gave birth to baby Jake in June last year.   This is the first baby post pancreas transplantation in Ireland, and there are only 20 successful live births in such cases worldwide.

“This programme depends on the unselfish generosity and thoughtfulness of the donor family in allowing donation to proceed, and recipients are forever indebted to their donor”,  said senior transplant coordinator, Phyllis Cunningham.  To quote, Audrey, another recipient, “I can only imagine the terrible sadness and loss the family must feel and I will never be able to express my gratitude to them and my donor, but a day never passes that I do not think of them, without them this would not have happened to me”.  “This echoes how all recipients feel”,  said Phyllis.

The Beaumont Transplant team are also very pleased with the development and expansion of the Living Donor Programme.  This success was highlighted again recently when Michelle, a recipient of one of her mother’s kidneys early last year, celebrated her wedding just a few months later.  Michelle received her first renal transplant in November 1991 at the age of six.  In 2006 she gave birth to her little boy Sean but after fifteen years of successful transplantation, Michelle developed allograft nephropathy and went on the list for re-transplantation.  At the same time her mum, Grainne, came forward as a living donor, and having completed a very intensive evaluation, she donated her kidney to Michelle in May 2009.  

“Both donor and recipient looked wonderful on the wedding day” said Phyllis, “and Michelle’s love and gratitude was very moving and touched the hearts of all the guests”.