NI family share heartbreaking story as Organ Donation Discussion Day urges life-saving conversations

Fionntán McGarvey

As the countdown to Christmas begins, one Belfast family is urging people across Northern Ireland to talk openly about organ donation — a conversation they say helped them honour their teenage son’s final wishes and save the lives of others.

On Organ Donation Discussion Day, Thursday 11 December, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging households to take a moment to consider their decision about organ and tissue donation and share that choice with loved ones.

For the McGarvey family, that discussion proved invaluable when their 17-year-old son, Fionntán, died suddenly in 2022.

“Fionntán died tragically in January 2022. He died in Intensive Care and at this most devastating time we were approached by the organ donation team. We knew Fionntán had made the decision to join the Organ Donor Register… As a seventeen-year-old boy he had made this choice. When faced with the brutal reality of signing consent forms… we knew what Fionntán wanted. That was all that mattered.”

His decision meant two people received lifesaving organ transplants — a legacy his family now works tirelessly to promote.

“Following Fionntán’s death and organ donation, we as a family have been involved with promoting education around organ donation… Having had this discussion will help guide families in the midst of grief when making their decision.”

A precious gift that saves lives

Across the UK, hundreds of people each year are saved or transformed by organ and tissue donation. The selflessness of donors and their families remains at the heart of this system.

Last year in Northern Ireland:

• 44 families consented to organ donation

• 123 lifesaving transplants took place across the UK

• 60 people in NI received a deceased donor transplant

• 62 more received transplants through living donors

From 1 April to 31 October this year, 33 deceased donors enabled 97 lifesaving transplants, including 30 from donors consented under Dáithí’s Law, the opt-out system introduced in June 2023.

But with around 155 people in Northern Ireland awaiting a transplant, and 10–15 people dying every year while waiting, families’ willingness to support a loved one’s decision remains critical.

Why the conversation matters

Despite Northern Ireland now operating under an opt-out system, families will always be consulted before organ donation goes ahead.

PHA Chief Executive Aidan Dawson said clarity is crucial:

“Signing the Organ Donor Register and ensuring that loved ones are aware of your decision, will leave your family certain about your wishes… 90% of families support organ donation when they are certain of a loved one’s decision, but when they are unsure this drops to just 50%.”

Lead Nurse Edel Livingstone from NHS Blood and Transplant echoed the message:

“As a team of Specialist Nurses, we support families at an extremely difficult time. We see first-hand how the knowledge of a loved one’s decision… can help our families during end of life care discussions.”

The stark reality is that only 1% of people die in circumstances where organ donation is possible, which makes every donor — and every decision — immensely valuable.

Northern Ireland leads UK in donor registration

Support for organ donation in Northern Ireland remains exceptionally strong:

• 90% of people support organ donation

• 60% have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register — the highest in the UK, up from 51% in 2021/22

• Over 1.1 million people have now recorded a decision, an increase of more than 20,500 since March 2025

This year alone (1 April – 30 September):

• 40 people became living donors

• 37 patients in NI received a living donor transplant

And yet, as of 18 November, 151 people in Northern Ireland remain on the active transplant waiting list.

Ten thousand cups, ten thousand conversations

To mark Organ Donation Discussion Day, the PHA is working with partners across the Health and Social Care Trusts to distribute 10,000 branded coffee cups in cafés and hospital outlets — each one a potential prompt for a lifesaving conversation.

With the festive season offering moments to reflect on what matters most, health leaders hope that more families will take time to talk, consider their wishes, and ultimately help save lives.

How to record your decision

Anyone can join the NHS Organ Donor Register, regardless of age or many medical conditions. You can opt in, opt out, or change your decision at any time.

Visit organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.

Whatever you choose, health officials stress the importance of telling those closest to you.

One donor can save or transform up to nine lives — and many more through tissue donation.