NI mum tells how brave PSNI boss ‘saved my son’s life with kidney transplant donation’ - ‘Joshua’s motivation has really soared’

Mary Dolan, 37, from Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh, said: “I cannot thank Graham enough for giving my son the gift of life and for being a friend through all of this”.

“Graham saved his life,” she added.

“I really wasn’t hopeful about getting a matching kidney for Joshua but then Graham saw the newspaper article and everything changed. It has been fantastic ever since.

“Graham has been a Godsend. He is an amazing man and not only that there is a real bond between Joshua and Graham now. They have got even closer and are finding out information from each other every day on how they feel.

“In fact since they found out they were a match they have been swapping details.

“You don’t usually get that with donors. It is so different for us. “

Ms Dolan added that instead of going to the hospital four times a week for dialysis, he is now attending hospital three times a week for tests “to check his bloods but so far so good”.

“He was only a week in hospital after the transplant which was great, amazing really,” she said.

“His recovery surprised the doctors.”

Prior to the transplant Joshua had been taking around 25 tablets a day.

“Graham’s kidney is working for him and is doing its job so far,” added Ms Dolan. “He is more perky already and I can see colour returning to his face, but he is still sore obviously.

“Joshua wasn’t able to do much walking in the hospital because he is was being isolated in a side room so it was good to get him home.”

Ms Dolan said owing to his illness and the Covid-19 restrictions Joshua was not able to attend his Primary 5 class this year.

“He has missed so much school and not just because of isolation purposes,” she said, “He was not fit to be there.

“He did not have a life for a nine-year-old boy.

“But his new kidney has been working from day two. Joshua has been really lucky and as his doctor said he has broke the record getting out of hospital after a week.

“Graham left the hospital on the second day and he told me he thought someone else could have his bed. That is the sort of man he is, always thinking of other people.”

She said Joshua and Graham were planning to meet up in coming weeks.

“Joshua is looking forward to his police visit after a while - he has been talking about the police since he was two-years old and now because of Graham he is even more into it.

“His motivation has really soared.

“He says he is not going to let it get the better of him and is really looking forward to getting back to school in September because he has not been in school this year. He wants to see his friends and be with them in Primary 6.”

“When he was on dialysis Joshua used to say to me what is the point in getting up in the morning because he was always so tired. Bow that has all changed, thanks to Graham.”

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