A Co Tyrone man has opened up on how a liver transplant completely transformed his life seven years ago.
Daniel Fletcher, 32, from the Moy, was born with a rare condition known as maple syrup urine disease which led to severe fatigue and serious diet restrictions for all of his childhood and into early adulthood.
He spent regular periods at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin and required a classroom assistant in school, while he was unable to take part in the sports he was passionate about into his adult years.
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However at the age of 25 after falling seriously ill, Daniel was fast-tracked for a liver transplant following a stint in hospital in London.
“It really changed my life, I have been able to do things in the last few years that I could never have dreamed of before,” Daniel told Belfast Live.
“I had been restricted in a lot of ways, I wasn’t able to eat the same things that most children could and I would have to have blood tests three times a week. I was fatigued all the time pretty much after not doing much.
“I went to the children’s hospital in Dublin regularly and my mum and the rest of my family had to be on hand at every hour for transport if needed.”
“Now I’ve recently been to America and travelled to Portugal and Cyprus as well, it has just transformed my life.”
Daniel added that his condition had deteriorated suddenly following a trip to England with his brother.
“We had travelled over to England I suddenly became unwell and had to get a flight home immediately.
“The consultants at the Royal said things were not getting any better and seemed to be getting a lot worse.
“You never really know beforehand whether you should go ahead with a transplant or not because there’s always a possibility it could go wrong. You’re always scared of what the outcome might be.”
This week marks Organ Donation Week across Northern Ireland, and Daniel praised the actions of the man that donated his liver and his family for the impact it has had on his life.
“I was told after surgery that it was a 65-year-old man that had sadly passed away.
“We got in touch with his family to let him know how grateful we all were and what a complete honour it was to have another opportunity at life.”
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