![\"Susan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3850421_2_articleinline_Susan_2c_20Dave_c3_b3g_20and_20their_20baby_20son_20Noah.jpg\" "\\"Susan")
Susan and D\u00e1ve\u00f3g with baby Noah.<\/p>\nA young County Roscommon woman who once feared she might never become a mother is celebrating a most precious milestone, thanks to the life-changing gift of organ donation.<\/p>\n
Susan Mulligan, originally from Castlerea and now living in Kilcock, County Kildare, holds her ten-month-old son Noah close \u2014 a moment she says once felt beyond reach. Now, surrounded by her soon-to-be husband D\u00e1ve\u00f3g McKenna and their child, she is sharing her story publicly for the first time to mark Organ Donor Awareness Week, in the hope that others might be inspired to talk about organ donation and the lives it can transform.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur family\u2019s journey with polycystic kidney disease has been long and challenging,\u201d Susan explains. Out of six siblings, four have been diagnosed with the inherited condition, making kidney failure and transplantation an all-too-familiar reality in the Mulligan household.<\/p>\n
For Susan, that journey involved spending two and a half years on dialysis before receiving a kidney transplant in 2019. It was a turning point that would alter the course of her life in ways she could scarcely have imagined at the time.<\/p>\n
Hers is a story that echoes across generations. Her father, Michael, underwent a kidney transplant more than 20 years ago after three years on dialysis, and her sister Julie Sutcliffe \u2014 now living in Aughrim, County Wicklow \u2014 also endured nearly three years of dialysis before receiving her own transplant during the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll three family members received life-saving kidney transplants made possible through the selflessness of families of deceased donors,\u201d Susan says, her voice filled with gratitude.<\/p>\n
But for Susan, the transplant brought more than improved health \u2014 it restored possibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy life was on hold until I had my transplant,\u201d she says. \u201cSince then, I am the happiest I\u2019ve ever been.\u201d In July 2025, that renewed hope became reality when Susan gave birth to her son Noah, a milestone she describes as \u201ca moment of immense joy, and one I once feared might never come.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Susan and D\u00e1ve\u00f3g with baby Noah.<\/p>\n
She credits not only her donor but also the support of healthcare professionals, her family, and the Irish Kidney Association for helping her reach that moment. \u201cI am forever in debt to my donor and their family,\u201d she says. \u201cI have a new life with my fianc\u00e9 and our beautiful son, and I know they wouldn\u2019t be part of my story today had I not received the best gift ever \u2014 the gift of life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since her transplant, Susan\u2019s life has taken on a new rhythm. She met D\u00e1ve\u00f3g, whom she is due to marry this July, and together they are building a future shaped not by illness, but by hope.<\/p>\n
The family continues to navigate life after transplantation, attending regular follow-up care. Susan and her sister now visit Tallaght Hospital, while their father still travels from Roscommon to Beaumont Hospital for routine check-ups \u2014 a reminder that transplant success requires lifelong commitment.<\/p>\n
Throughout their journey, the Irish Kidney Association\u2019s National Kidney Support Centre at Beaumont Hospital has been a constant source of comfort. It provided accommodation and support when Susan underwent her transplant, allowing loved ones to stay close during recovery.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was such a comfort to have that space,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI was living in rented accommodation at the time and didn\u2019t have the support or transport I needed, so being able to stay there after my transplant was invaluable.\u201d She also remembers how her father would rely on the centre during his hospital visits \u2014 arriving early by train from Roscommon, reading his newspaper while waiting for results in a warm, supportive environment.<\/p>\n
Now, during Organ Donor Awareness Week (May 16th\u201323rd), Susan hopes her family\u2019s experience will encourage others to consider the impact of organ donation \u2014 and to have conversations that could one day save lives.<\/p>\n
More than 650 people in Ireland are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant, and each donor has the potential to save up to eight lives. Yet only a small percentage of deaths occur in circumstances where organ donation is possible, making every donor decision profoundly important.<\/p>\n
Recent legislative changes have introduced a soft opt-out system, meaning people are presumed to have consented to organ donation unless they have registered otherwise. However, family agreement remains essential \u2014 reinforcing the campaign\u2019s central message: \u201cDon\u2019t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt. Share Your Wishes About Organ Donation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Susan Mulligan, that message is not abstract \u2014 it is deeply personal.<\/p>\n
Her story is one of resilience, family, and extraordinary generosity \u2014 a reminder that behind every transplant lies a decision that can rewrite someone\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
As she looks ahead to her wedding day and watches her son take his first steps, Susan carries with her a quiet but powerful truth: that one act of kindness, made in the darkest of moments, can bring unimaginable light to another life.<\/p>\n
\u2022For more information or to request an organ donor card (including in digital format), visit www.ika.ie\/donorweek <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A young County Roscommon woman who once feared she might never become a mother is celebrating a most…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":464106,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-464105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}