‘A new lease of life’
Matthew Holland, a 21-year-old two-time kidney transplant recipient from Nenagh, accepted a donation on behalf of the Tipperary branch of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) at the Civic Offices in Nenagh recently.
The funds – €371 raised last December by the Canteen Carollers, carol singers made up of TUSLA and Tipperary County Council staff – will contribute to the IKA’s work in supporting kidney patients, their families, and carers. Matthew attended with his father Michael and was joined by long-time Tipperary IKA branch volunteer James Dodd.
Matthew, the youngest of six siblings’ health was restored when he received his second donated kidney during Christmas week 2025 – a moment he describes as giving him “a new lease of life”.
Diagnosed when he was just eight years old with kidney disease, he learned that he had been born with only one kidney, which was slowly failing. In February 2015 he underwent his first deceased donor kidney transplant at the age of 10, which continued to thrive until he was 16.
He began dialysis treatment is July 2024, when he attended at University Hospital Limerick, enduring four hours of treatment, three days a week, while awaiting a suitable donor kidney.
A NEW CHAPTER
Often exhausted, he was drifting off to sleep on the sofa as his sister watched a movie during Christmas week when his phone rang. It was a call from Beaumont Hospital asking him to make his way to Dublin for a kidney transplant.
After a year and a half on dialysis, the call marked the end of a long and gruelling wait and the beginning of a new chapter in his life. Now, with renewed health, he is making plans for his future and hopes to pursue his ambition of becoming a chef.
Speaking at the cheque presentation, Matthew reflected on his health journey and the importance of organ donor awareness and expressed his profound gratitude to the families of his two kidney donors who in death gave him renewed life.
He thanked the canteen carollers for their donation to the Irish Kidney Association describing the charity as one that “supported my family along my kidney journey and other kidney patients and their families across Ireland”.
While still on dialysis, he joined the IKA’s National Member Forum – a group that brings patient voices together to help the organisation’s services, advocacy and future direction – and he continues to be involved today. He added, “The support is not just financial as it highlights the strength of community spirit and gives hope to patients in organ failure.”
WORLD KIDNEY DAY
As part of the ongoing awareness efforts, the Irish Kidney Association marked World Kidney Day on March 12 with a national kidney health awareness campaign.
With approximately one in 10 of the general population affected by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) – rising to one in seven among those over 50 – and with projections indicating it could become the fifth leading cause of mortality worldwide by 2040, early detection and awareness are more important than ever.
Your risk of Chronic Kidney Disease increases if you have: diabetes; heart disease; high blood pressure; or a family history of kidney disease. You are also at risk if you: are over the age of 50; or use over-the-counter medication long term.
The IKA is encouraging those in at-risk groups to speak with their GP. Simple blood and urine tests can help determine kidney health and allow for intervention, which is crucial in preventing disease progression and improving outcomes. More information is available at www.ika.ie/kidneyhealth.
In the lead-up to World Kidney Day, IKA volunteer collectors, many of whom have been personally affected by kidney failure, were stationed at Aldi stores nationwide, including in Nenagh on Saturday, March 7.
They shared information on kidney health and raise vital funds to support the Irish Kidney Association, helping provide essential services to kidney patients and their families across Ireland.