Mount Temple's Claire set for World Transplant Games 11 years on from lifesaving kidney replacement

In May of 2014 Claire Dolan, from Mount Temple in Westmeath, was 20 years of age when a kidney transplant changed the course of her life.

The life-saving surgery came after Claire had undergone a year and a half of dialysis treatment.

In the same month, May, ten years later, she married her sweetheart Shane Mullen, and this year she is sharing her uplifting story for Organ Donor Awareness Week (May 10-17).

Claire's health journey began in September 2012, during her first week of college, when severe abdominal pain led her to hospital, where she was diagnosed with complete kidney failure.

The sudden diagnosis was a shock, especially for an 18-year-old who had never been seriously ill before.

The timing of the transplant, made possible by a deceased donor, was perfect, giving her the summer to recover before returning to her studies that September.

"I remember thinking how perfectly it all fell into place," she recalls. "It gave me hope and I could make plans for the future."

At just 21 years old, Claire finished her final year exams at college and in May 2016 she joined Aer Lingus as member of cabin crew, where she worked for over a year, grateful to be able to travel thanks to the second chance she had been given.

In August 2017, she and Shane Mullen, her then-boyfriend and now husband, moved to Vancouver, Canada.

There they built a life together and she worked as a legal assistant. Three years ago, there was a welcome addition to the family - a furry friend, Oreo.

When they returned home to Ireland in September 2023 to prepare for their May 2024 wedding, they made sure their beloved Oreo came too. After seven years in Canada, he was flown back with them and even played a special role at the wedding, joining in the celebrations and appearing in the couple’s wedding photos.

"Oreo is a part of our story," Claire said.

Now settled in her local village of Mount Temple with her husband, she reflects on nearly 11 years since her transplant with deep gratitude.

"The last 11 years have been just unimaginable. I am forever grateful to my donor and their family. I think of them always, as their selfless act changed my life entirely."

Now, more than a decade on, she will represent Ireland in golf at the World Transplant Games in Dresden this August, a natural fit, having grown up on her parents' golf course in Mount Temple.

Though she remains humble about her abilities, her participation at the Games marks a powerful symbol of the success of organ transplantation.

As she shares her journey during Organ Donor Awareness Week, she says, "I want people to know there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"Even if something like this happens to you at a young age, you can still live a full and happy life and follow your dreams."

Organ Donor Awareness Week 2025, which is organised by the Irish Kidney Association with the support of Organ Donation Transplant Ireland (ODTI) HSE, began on Saturday last, May 10, and continues until tomorrow, Saturday, May 17.

You can request an Organ Donor Card from the Irish Kidney Association website at: www.ika.ie/donorweek/