Cystic Fibrosis campaigner Orla Tinsley on getting ‘gift of life’ with lung transplant and joy of running 5k
CYSTIC Fibrosis campaigner Orla Tinsley has opened up about getting the "gift of life" with their double lung transplant - and the joy of being able to run 5k.
Activist Orla spent almost nine months on a transplant list in New York before finally undergoing life-saving surgery four years ago.
The long-awaited procedure came after six potential surgeries were cancelled because the organs were found to be unsuitable.
Orla spoke on the Late Late Show tonight about their new life following the surgery and the love they have for their donor.
They said: "I got the gift of life. You have to say it because it is the only thing that describes the journey.
"I'm sitting here with you now because a person decided to be an organ donor."
Orla went on to talk about the freedom the transplant has given them.
"I thought, once I have enough strength, I can go for a run. Three months later, 5k.
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"Down by the Hudson River, are you kidding me? The most beautiful thing in the world. Freedom, unlike any other freedom I could possibly describe."
Orla described that waiting for a transplant was difficult for their whole family as well as the donor's family.
They said: "I had six calls where I had a match. I'd go to the hospital and I'd bring my family with me, we'd be praying and hoping.
"And thinking of the donor and their family, because it's a really complicated space. You're getting this gift, but this family is losing someone they love in the same moment."
They urged people to mask up and be considerate of people in their communities who may be particularly vulnerable to Covid, or have an "invisible disability" like them.
DONOR LOVE
Speaking about their donor, Orla said: "I love them so much. I used to think about them every single day, now maybe every second day.
"I used to think about them on the 20th of every month and now it's a little less, which is healthy I think.
"I'm thinking about how grateful I am to be alive because of them. I think about their family, my family does too. It's a type of connection that a lot of people will never experience and it's the only reason I'm sitting here talking to you.
"Otherwise, caput, I'm not here. It's the only reason I can teach creative writing, it's the only reason I can advocate, jog by the Hudson, feed my cat Harper and write my second book."
Orla called for operating theatres to be ring fenced for transplant operations so that no opportunities are wasted.
DOCUMENTARY
Tinsley previously told how they wanted cameras to capture their wait for a lung transplant, even though there was a risk they would die.
Incredibly, the activist agreed to be filmed throughout their ordeal for a documentary, because they wanted to highlight the importance of organ donation.
Orla Tinsley: Warrior, aired on RTE One and followed Orla as they struggled with failing health and endured six false alarms before finally getting a transplant.
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Tinsley, who is studying for a Master’s in Creative Writing in Columbia University, said: “I’m a campaigner and advocate for people with cystic fibrosis and I’ve always shared parts of that experience in order to help people understand it better and to get better services and healthcare for people with CF in Ireland.
“So when I knew that I needed a transplant I wanted to capture it in some way that even if the outcome wasn’t positive, people would see what the journey was like and consider being organ donors.”