A young Mullaghbawn girl who is living proof of the vital importance of organ donation has brought home gold and silver medals after competing in the recent British Transplant Games in Glasgow.
Eleven year old Eve Hamill, was born with liver disease and received a life-saving liver transplant when she was almost 6 years old. She was delighted to celebrate the gift of life along with fellow transplant recipients at the annual transplant games, which sees teams from hospitals across the UK come together to compete – and her medal-winning performances are all the more amazing considering this was the keen swimmer’s first ever experience of competitive racing! The Mullaghbawn PS pupil swam in the 12-13 age group as part of the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Team, scooping Gold in Backstroke and Silver in Freestyle.
Eve was cheered on at the games by parents Sinead and Jim and her three younger brothers, and has received fantastic support and praise from her swimming club, Aura in Dundalk, where she has completed their swim academy and is now embarking on rookie lifeguard training.
Dad Jim spoke to The Examiner about his daughter’s success at the games and stressed the importance of organ donation – something he says none of us really think about unless the situation demands it.
As a doctor himself, he is acutely aware of the demand for organ donation and having experienced first hand how a successful transplant has allowed his daughter to live a normal, healthy life, Jim hopes that sharing Eve’s story will help to raise awareness of the need for more people to join the NHS Organ Donation Register and discuss their wishes with their families
“Eve has not looked back since she had her transplant in Birmingham Children’s Hospital in October 2011. She’s very proud of her “new liver” and knows that her donor is an angel now,” said Jim.
“She was diagnosed with liver disease at 5 weeks old and monitored closely over the first few years of her life. She was put on the transplant list in the autumn of 2011 as she had been in hospital earlier that year with a complication in her liver. We were very lucky that because of her common blood type, she received a new liver just a fortnight after going on the list and just 11 days after her youngest brother was born! Two weeks later she was discharged from hospital and has never looked back!”
Eve currently attends yearly check-ups and hopefully as an adult she will only require check-ups on a five yearly basis.
“We’re very proud of her success at the games, especially as this was her first time ever swimming in a real race.” added Jim.
“There were up to 1,000 competitors at the transplant games – all fit, healthy athletes because of organ donation. Eve and all the children who took part in the Transplant Games have been given a second chance because of organ donation. They can live normal, healthy lives with the only difference between them and other children being that they take medication and have some interesting scars!”
According to Transplant Sports, the organisation behind the British Transplant Games, More than 10,000 people in the UK currently need a transplant.
Of these three a day will die waiting as there are not enough organs available.
“Eve and our family are forever grateful to her donor. It is something most of never think of but the importance of registering on the organ donor list cannot be underestimated when you’re in the situation where a loved one needs a transplant,” says Jim.
As Eve prepares for another milestone in her life next month – beginning secondary school at Our Lady’s Grammar in Newry – her parents are very aware that this day would not have been possible without her new liver and they urge everyone to have the conversation with their families and join the Organ Donation Register.
For more information on how to register visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk