Kidney transplant gives County Roscommon native a new lease of life
Niall Kennedy's journey to renewed health has been long, challenging, and ultimately life-changing.
A Boyle native’s journey to renewed health has been long, challenging, and ultimately life-changing after two decades managing the progression of chronic kidney failure.
Diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in 2005, Niall Kennedy, a dedicated nurse and father of three from Ballindaggin, Bunclody, who was born and raised in Boyle, received a life-changing kidney transplant in late August 2024 following four and a half years on dialysis.
Now back to work, and running a busy nurse-led respiratory clinic as a candidate advanced nurse practitioner, at Wexford General Hospital, Niall is embracing his new lease of life. “It’s hard to put into words the transformation,” he says. “After years of exhaustion, restrictions, and the constant routine of dialysis, I now have the freedom and energy to live fully again, with my family, my work, and my health. This summer, I am taking the first holiday abroad with my family since before starting dialysis and am enrolled in a Masters programme in UCD from September.”
His diagnosis in 2005 came after a routine medical exam revealed dangerously high blood pressure. With a family history of PKD, his sister had already been diagnosed, an ultrasound confirmed what he had feared. “At that stage, my kidney function was close to normal, but I was told to expect a gradual decline,” he recalls.
Despite his best efforts, including strict dietary management and expert care under Professor Catherine Wall at Tallaght Hospital, his kidney function steadily worsened. By 2019, conversations had turned to transplant and dialysis. He was officially placed on the transplant waiting list in January 2020 and began peritoneal dialysis (PD) the following month, a treatment he would rely on nightly for four and a half years.
“Peritoneal dialysis suited my life and my family,” Niall says. “It’s gentler than haemodialysis, but it meant connecting to a machine every single night for nine hours. It became part of our routine.” The journey wasn’t without complications. Twice he developed infections in his dialysis tube, requiring hospitalisation and a six-month stint on haemodialysis at the hospital. Despite the setbacks, he remained determined. “I’ve always tried to live my life not as a patient, but as someone managing a chronic illness. I’m a husband, a father, a son, and a nurse, and I wanted to live fully in all those roles.”
Living with chronic illness while working in healthcare brings unique challenges. “My personal experience has made me more compassionate and more connected to the people I care for in my work.”
Throughout his wait for a transplant, the thought of receiving a kidney was both hopeful and humbling. “Being on the transplant waiting list is a daunting experience. But I also know, having previously worked as a nurse in intensive care, the unimaginable grief donor families go through. The choice to donate is heart-breaking, but that gift changes lives.”
That gift came for Niall at the end of August 2024, a kidney that not only gave him freedom from dialysis but also a chance to look forward to the future. Now he can enjoy more family time and being more present with his wife Helen and sons, Des (20), Eoin (18), and Cathal (16). “I can now be more present for my sons, who for much of their teens knew me as a dialysis patient,” he said.
“My wife was the constant rock who held everything together during those years. I want to continue making a difference in my work, and I want to honour my kidney donor for the gift their family gave to me.”
Niall and his family, originally from Boyle, and now living in Bunclody, are adjusting to life after transplant with gratitude and renewed energy. “We tried to keep things as normal as possible during those years, through sports, exams, everyday family life. But the condition was always there, in the background. Now, we can breathe a little easier.”
"Organ Donor Awareness Week, which was held last week, reminds us of the power of giving and receiving and the importance of sharing your wishes about organ donation with your loved ones. My story stands as a testament to resilience, hope, and the profound impact of organ donation. The decision to donate saves lives. Mine is just one example," says Niall.
Organ Donor Awareness Week was a national call to action “Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt”. Organised by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) with support from the HSE’s Organ Donation Transplant Ireland (ODTI) office, the campaign shone a spotlight on the life-changing impact of organ donation for transplantation and the role that families play in ensuring that your wishes are carried out. For more information visit www.ika.ie/donorweek/
