Published: Wednesday, 20th January, 2010 4:49pm

Trim woman's transplant story told on TV

by Noelle Finegan

Josephine McQuaid features in TV3's documentary series 'The Gift of Life'. The programme follows 12 organ transplant patients over several months as they battled with illness.
Pic by==: 97

Trim woman Josephine McQuaid will feature in a new documentary series telling the stories of organ transplant patients, which begins on TV3 tomorrow (Thursday night).

'The Gift of Life' follows the stories of 12 organ transplant patients from all over Ireland, a couple who donated their son's organs to give others new life, and the medical teams in the dedicated transplant centres at Beaumont, St Vincent's and the Mater Hospitals.

The documentary series, produced by Animo Television for TV3, is a behind-the-scenes look at the people for whom a transplant could mean a new life and follows them over several months as they deal with their illnesses and the prospect of a transplant.

Ms McQuaid (49) suffered from cardiomyopathy, which causes a thickening of the heart muscle. The condition left her short of breath and unable to engage in even mild physical activity. The series follows Ms McQuaid's progress from early on, right up to her transplant and her return home afterwards.

'The Gift of Life' filmed five transplant operations, including one heart transplant, a lung transplant, two liver transplants and what was only the second Irish spouse-to-spouse kidney transplant.

At any one time, there are 600 people awaiting an organ transplant in Ireland, who are living in the hope that they will be called for an operation that may be their only chance of survival. The path to a successful transplant is difficult and uncertain and, every year, less than 50 per cent of those waiting will receive the organ they need.

When a potential organ arises, there is the challenge to find a suitable recipient, before the organ is removed unnecessarily. In the event that a suitable match is located, it's a race against time to remove it, preserve it and transplant it in perfect condition - regardless of the distance. This documentary shows the work of Ireland's three transplant centres where dedicated specialists work night and day to ensure their patients get the best care they can provide.

The first episode of 'The Gift of Life' airs on Thursday at 10pm on TV3. To find out more about being an organ donor, freetext donor to 50050, lo-call 1890 543 639 or email donor@ika.ie

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