Boy behind change to Northern Ireland's organ donation law receives heart transplant

A NINE-YEAR-OLD BOY whose family campaigned for a change to Northern Ireland’s organ donation rules has received a heart transplant after years of waiting.

Daithí Mac Gabhann, after whom Daithí’s Law is named, had been waiting for a new heart since 2018.

In a post on social media, his family said he was at the beginning of his recovery and there was “still a long road ahead”.

“We would ask you all to keep him in your thoughts and prayers,” the post said.

“Organ donation is the greatest gift anyone can give.

“We are beyond grateful to Dáithí’s donor and their family for making such a selfless decision at the most difficult time imaginable,” it said.

Dáithí has received the gift of a heart transplant.

Dáithí is at the beginning of his recovery. There have already been some big wins for him, but there is still a long road ahead, and we would ask you all to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/cC7g32Q5w3 — Donate4Dáithí (@Donate4Daithi) July 21, 2026

Daithí was born with the rare hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Babies born with HLHS have an underdeveloped left side of their heart, which means they don’t pump blood well.

Daithi’s Law came into effect in June 2023 and brought Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the UK. It made it so that most adults are now automatically considered potential organ donors.

Adults in the North are deemed to have given consent as a potential organ donor after their death unless they choose to opt out or are in an excluded group.

The law only covers adults, though, and Daithí’s father said last year that he still wanted to encourage parents to register their children as organ donors.

“It can be a very emotive and difficult conversation involving children but we want to normalise it,” Mairtin Mac Gabhann said at the time, but adding that it was the only thing that would save his son’s life.

A similar law came into effect in the Republic in June last year.