The heart that changed everything: Dáithí’s gift sparks UK push for one million donor decisions

Dáithí Mac Gabhann was born in 2016 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, meaning the left side of his heart did not form correctly.

He received a transplant last month with the family saying they are "beyond grateful" to the donor.

On social media this week the family said Dáithí had been given "the greatest gift of all - the gift of life, the gift of a new heart".

And now Dáithí’s family say it shows exactly why registering your organ donation decision matters now more than ever.

Their experience sits at the heart of a major new push to encourage one million people across the UK to register their organ donation decision, as the Public Health Agency echoes NHS Blood and Transplant’s call for urgent action.

On Wednesday NHS Blood and Transplant has announced a new plan to reach 30 million people registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register by the end of the year, as new figures show a worrying decline in family consent rates.

Across the UK, consent has fallen from 69% in 2020/21 to 57% in 2025/26. In Northern Ireland, the drop is from 79% to 64% — despite 90% of people here supporting organ donation and 59% already being registered.

The impact of this decline is stark. Almost 90% of families support donation when they know their loved one’s wishes, but this falls to just 50% when they are unsure. Last year, 167 families across the UK - including seven in Northern Ireland - felt unable to support their relative’s registered or expressed decision to donate.

For families like the Mac Gabhanns, clarity matters. Dáithí’s father Máirtín says every annual Transplant Activity Report was a painful reminder that his son was still waiting. This year, for the first time, that report tells a different story.

“I can't believe that this is the year that Dáithí has received the gift of a heart transplant,” he said.

“Even though Dáithí is only at the very beginning of his recovery, we’ve already seen just how transformational organ donation really is. The difference in Dáithí has been incredible, and we’re so excited to see where this new chapter takes him.”

He says the donor family’s decision has changed all of their lives.

“They haven’t just saved Dáithí’s life. They have hopefully given a future back to all of us. They have given his mummy and daddy hope again. They have given his brothers the potential to make the most precious memories together, and they have given so many people who love him the chance to watch him grow up.”

Dáithí has already made three promises to his donor family: he will not be sad about the gift he has received; he will be grateful every day; and he will live the very best life he possibly can.

His story is a powerful reminder of what organ donation makes possible and why every registration counts.

The Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Activity Report for the UK, published on Wednesday, shows that in 2025/26:

l 1,428 people donated organs after death (54 in NI);

l 4,666 patients received an organ transplant (143 in NI);

l The number of living donors in NI increased from 68 to 72;

l 8,296 patients were on the active transplant waiting list as of 31 March 2026 — the highest number ever recorded, including 143 from NI.

Northern Ireland saw 10 more deceased donors and 23 more transplants than the previous year, but the gap between donors and those waiting continues to widen.

Only 1% of people will ever be in a position to donate their organs after death. Last year, the 54 donors in NI gave 74 people the gift of life — but thousands more across the UK are still waiting.

Catherine McKeown, organ donation promotion manager at the Public Health Agency, says the fall in consent rates shows why people must record their decision and talk about it.

“We understand that when families are approached about organ donation, they make difficult decisions at an already tragic time. That’s why we’re asking people to be ‘One in a Million’ – to help drive up the number of decisions recorded on the NHS Organ Donor Register.”

She says registering a decision gives families certainty.

“Only 1% of people will ever be in a position to donate their organs after death, which is exactly why every registration counts. I would urge anyone who hasn’t already done so to express your decision to donate and to discuss it with family. It is the best way to leave them certain of your decision and to help them honour it should the time come.”

Northern Ireland moved to an opt‑out system in 2023 under Dáithí’s Law, which has facilitated over a third of deceased donors here in the past year. But donation can still only proceed with family support - making conversations essential.

Nineteen‑year‑old Connie Taylor from Carrickfergus knows exactly how vital that support is. She received a multi‑organ transplant in 2008 at just 13 months old, made possible only because her donor’s family agreed to honour his decision.

She was born with a rare condition affecting her digestive and urinary organs and spent over a year on the waiting list as her health deteriorated. Her transplant - a liver, stomach, pancreas and small bowel - came just in time.

“His mother’s brave decision to donate his organs saved not only my life but, I understand, at least three others. I am eternally grateful to both of them.”

Connie has since flourished. She studies Screen Production at Ulster University, performs with Queen’s Musical Theatre Society, and hopes one day to use her filmmaking skills to promote organ donation.

“I strongly encourage everyone and anyone to sign up for organ donation as you could give someone like me a second chance at life.”

Every day in the UK, someone dies waiting for a transplant. It takes two minutes to register your decision at organdonationni.info - and one conversation to make sure your family knows it.