9-year-old Dáithí Mac Gabhann receives long-awaited heart transplant

[00:00:00]We have been really following the story of Dahi McGowan for such a long time now. It's been almost eight years that he's been waiting for a heart transplant and we're pleased to say that he has now got it. Dahi, of course, inspired changes to Northern Ireland's organ donation laws. He has been somebody who has been really the face of that campaign trying to make it easier and trying to encourage people to sign up to donate. And posting on social media today, Dahi was at the start of his recovery, said his family and had already made progress, but of course he faces a long road ahead. And I am so pleased to say that Dahi's dad, Marine, joins me now. Morning to you.

[00:00:44]>> Good morning. How's it going?

[00:00:45]>> It's it's going great. Listen, how's it going with you? That's the more important thing. How are things?

[00:00:49]>> Well, do you know what? I'm sitting outside here, the Freeman Hospital, and um it's it's it's a calm morning, I'm happy to say. So, Dahi Dahi has made uh some amazing progress over the last few days. And um you know, I suppose that you know, we couldn't have asked for for better so far. Um but every time I allow myself to smile, I kind of ruin it a wee bit. because I know it's such a it's so early in his recovery, but so far so good. So so far so really good to be honest.

[00:01:23]>> I mean that's the thing and I I I am very aware that you've made journeys like this before because there have been conversations about potentially transplants being available getting to ride and and you I'm sure you go through this every time with trepidation. tell us about this trip and and and what it's like to make the the journey when you actually get the call and say listen this is going to work.

[00:01:47]>> Well, do you know I got the phone call very early in the morning and you know within two hours we were in the air. So first of all um the wood gate our ambulance were absolutely fantastic and the the team in the Freeman working through the you know we're work working on that working on getting us over here and you know with within two hours being in the air and then what what happens then is you kind of spend all day just waiting and tests and then when it's time to go everything happens really quickly. So when D went in for his heart transplant it's uh or before you know he was just his messer self and uh you know he had everybody laughing and um you know we had a we had a you know really good day and positive day of just keeping him keeping him settled really because he was very nervous because that he'll be 10 in October so he understands the consequences of things going wrong and he was very nervous and um you know so it was just kind of just getting getting that day in really and when when we handed them over um I suppose just I I couldn't speak for a few hours just really that that the the what we've what we waited on for so long was was happening and to be honest it was quite unbelievable um and it's still unbelievable it hasn't you know that it hasn't settled in me yet but um the the team at the Freeman and hospital have just been absolutely incredible from surgeons, the nurses, the coordinators, the doctors. It's just been, you know, the gratitude I have for them is just I can't even put into words.

[00:03:31]>> This of course is a Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon time and and it's a place that you've made a lot of journeys to because they've been involved in a lot of the care and treatment of of Dahi over the years and it seems like they have built up a real relationship with you as a family.

[00:03:46]Well, let let me tell you without the Freeman Hospital, nobody or sorry, without the Freeman Hospital, Dahi would have no hope because there's no other hospital in the UK that would take the risk on somebody as risky as Dahi. So, they have gave our family such hope over this um over the last eight years while he's been waiting and to be honest, they were his only hope and you know, they they are just a total inspiration because they will if they can, they will give any any any kid that chance. And thankfully they give Dahi the chance and thankfully this chance has come and um from a from a surgical point of view from the actual procedure it has it has gone well and that he has a new heart currently beaten inside him and it's doing all the work.

[00:04:33]>> I mean that in itself is just amazing. I I'm also aware Marshin from from following every bit of newspaper copy that is that that has been put out there about Dahi over the last number of months there have been scary moments over the past while where you've been really concerned about him and I know that that obviously filters to Dahi himself. I mean there there have been kind of like quite nervous moments over the last year or so, haven't there?

[00:05:01]Yes, the it's I can only explain it like walking on a cliff edge, you know, and we've just been grateful that he's been managed to be stable a lot of the time, but there was a time a few years ago when he was removed from the list. He was actually suspended from the list um not so long ago as well because he had an infection. And [clears throat] it's just been just such a roller coaster.

[00:05:24]And even this journey so far, it's just been a roller coaster of you know between happiness and anxiety and hope and you know even just being so down at times to being the highs and the lows of of just going through everything we've gone through. Um it's it's just been incredible. But what I would say to you know to anybody listening this morning if um you know you you'll see that we shared a a photo today and what I would say to anybody if they can is just to zoom into that we boy's lips because our daddy for the first time ever in his life is pink. You know he's been blue and he's been dark blue and even navy at times throughout the years. But if you zoom into that wee boy's lips, they're they're actually pink now. And his hands are warm and his feet are warm. And you know, just at this very early stage, I've seen how transformational organ donation uh and and that gift is. And what what I would say to people as well that if you if you thought that I was bad before [laughter] talking about organ donation and campaigning about organ donation, I'm going to be 10 times worse or better now, whatever way you want to look at it. And I'm sure Dahi is as well. I mean, he he is sitting up in bed in this photograph um which is which is taken inside the Freeman Hospital. I I have to say the thing that warms me Marine is he just looks so well like he I mean he's he's still got you know he's still plugged up to things and everything else but he looks well and that that is the fundamental thing. What did he say whenever he came out of this? Because I I imagine this is a long enough operation. How long does it last? And and what did he say when he came out of it? Well, well, they did tell us that the operation would take um you know, the procedure of the the transplant would take um it could take over 12 hours and that they were expecting Dahi to be quite a complex case because of all the surgery that he's had before and all the work that he's had done to change his circulation. 5 hours later, I got the call to say that the transplant was done and um and that he was being moved to to PICU. Um, so it it is a massive procedure and I suppose I'll I'll I can I can share a bit of a a bit of a a nice story is that you know obviously people a lot of people will know that Bahi is a big fan of um Liverpool and he's a big fan of MoSalah and the the the surgeon was from Egypt and we both said to the surgeon that when he was able to talk that you know Mosala is no longer our Egyptian king is that the the surgeon Muhammad Nazar who carried out the surgeon he is our new Egyptian king and uh you know he was laughing but uh you know it's just it's ah it's been I suppose it's it's a massive shock to Dahi as well you know because he's been dreaming of this day of when he gets the gift of a new heart and when that gift comes and he wakes up he's he's most likely feeling 10 times worse than he's ever felt before. So, it's been, you know, it's good to see a sparkle back in his eye. He was sitting up. He was having a sweetie party with myself and his mom for the World Cup party uh for the World Cup final cheering on Spain. So, he was a happy boy. And, you know, we we just hope that he'll continue to make progress. Um so what what way it does work is that really you're aiming to get through the first day, the first few days, the first week and then it goes in the first couple of weeks and then couple of months and then you know so it's just it's just taking a breath and taking you know taking every small hurdle or big hurdle as they come.

[00:09:16]But so far he's he's managed to you know he's managed to make unbelievable progress. I'm just amazed though even listening to you say that that you know he's sitting up and he's eating sweets and he's watching the World Cup final cuz that >> he's also shouting at the TV as well.

[00:09:33]Don't uh you know [laughter] >> but that but that I mean just just think Marine about like where you were a couple of years ago. The idea that he'd be there and shouting and screaming at the World Cup final. I'm sure that means a huge amount to you.

[00:09:48]>> Well, it means everything. you know, when when when he went in for the transplant itself, I was just I just spent so so much time just begging really. I don't know who it was begging, but I was begging in my head that he would come back and that I would hear his voice and and that I would just be his eyes open again and that, you know, that I just have my my we my we beautiful boy back and I'm I'm just, you know, to be having conversations with him again and, you know, even the odd argument and uh I just am so grateful to be you know, sometimes even when he's been even and believe me, he has even when he's been cheeky over the last day or two, I'm just sitting there with a with a smile on my face going, I'm so grateful for this. I'm so grateful that he's just sitting up. I'm so grateful that his his eyes are open, that I can hear his voice again and I'm just so grateful that he's got a new beautiful heart beating inside him.

[00:10:46]>> Listen, thanks to you, you've given a picture to us and it's on the BBC News website. You can go and see Dahi sitting up and and and looking really good. And I it's it's amazing to see Marshian for anybody who's followed this story and Dahi's campaigning, you know, in which he has been really pushing and and and getting this new system of a of a soft up out system where basically adults are treated as potential donors unless they've opted out of a next of kin um whole whole scenario. And and I'm also aware of that. I'm also aware that, you know, with with something like this, it it's also worth paying tribute to another family because they've had to make a difficult decision as well.

[00:11:27]>> Exactly. And to to be honest, there's a sense of immense gratitude, but that has the magnitude of what this gift is hasn't even settled in me yet. And I haven't even, you know, I'm I'm processing it at the minute. and his mom is. But all we are is so grateful and it doesn't even thanks doesn't seem enough.

[00:11:54]But at this moment in time while we're processing it, while Dah is recovering, it's it's it's all we have. But like the the I can't even just the amount of gratitude that I have in me um is is is unbelievable. Listen, stay there, Marcen, because Fergle McKenna from the British Art Foundation is listening to this and and I'm sure Fergle, I mean, even hearing that it it it makes it so real just what a difference it does, you know, putting yourself in a position where you you are prepared to donate, where a family is able to have that kind of conversation.

[00:12:30]>> Absolutely. And thanks for having us on and marching. Congratulations. you you've given us a picture on social media and the BBC you're sharing it, but you've painted such a wonderful picture of the roller coaster of emotions that you're going through um you know from joy at little dah being able to uh sit up and uh and you know and and be watching the football and shouting and all the rest of it's something you maybe worry might not happen and uh but also that mixture of emotions because you've painted that too that you know there's a family out there that has decided uh that if something happened to their child or wherever the source of the heart uh came from uh uh that that they would donate and you know that that's that's wonderful and gratitude to to the wider family uh that supported the whole concept of soft opt out organ donation because you know it has made a difference. It's the difference. It's it's life and uh people uh should continue to have the conversation. Your story, Dahi story uh and the journey that you've been through over the last 8 years has been phenomenal, but the people in Northern Ireland got behind you. Um and uh you know remember uh the moments at Stormant, remember the moments at Westminster. Um remember back in Belfast Belfast Cit Citizen Di was made uh and the the party that was there but you didn't reach the end of that journey until now and it's the start of a new one.

[00:14:17]>> I'll tell you what though.

[00:14:19]>> There will be an absolute party I'm sure Marine. I mean, you listen to to Fergle there and it's clear, you know, that he he's impacted by just what he's hearing.

[00:14:27]But I mean, it is ultimately down to what we've said before. It's Dahi's law and that was that was the change of that law. So, it's basically be people would be treated as potential donors unless they're they're opted out or or a next of objects and and that has made a huge difference. I mean, Dahi himself has made a huge difference. Marshing >> Dahi has made an incredible difference in the law. But the law I would look at as you know as it was a massive part of our campaign but it's a small part of the journey in the sense that we want society we want the the way society looks at organ donation to be the just the norm just that you know when people think of organ donation they think of it as a gift and they they think of it as the right thing to do and there's quite a bit of work to do there still and and we we're going to be part of that work going forward because we've seen the transformational um gift that organ organ donation can be. It's just making people aware of the story um and of what organ donation can do and then really it's up to them themselves and their families what they do with that information.

[00:15:32]>> Listen um even as I'm speaking there's texts coming in here. There's people phoning in talking about being you know the recipients of of donations and and the difference that it's made. Um, Marine, just do us a favor and make sure you tell Dahi that we are all thinking of him and just so thrilled to hear that news and just wishing him well on that road to recovery.

[00:15:51]>> Thank you very much, >> Marian. Really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you very much indeed.

[00:15:56]That's a amazing story of Dahi McGau and his dad Marine there talking to us from the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon time where that operation finally happened. You can find much more online as well on the BBC news website, including that picture of Dahi, which you will definitely want to