A Galway mum whose life was turned on its head when she was told she needed a kidney and pancreas transplant last year has spoken this week to reveal how she was ‘truly blessed’ to receive them.

Alceina O’Brien – a retired nurse and mother of one, living in Loughrea, and previously from Westside in the city – underwent her double transplant last year, bringing to an end 28 years as a diabetic and five years as a dialysis patient.

And now she is telling her story to highlight World Kidney Day this Thursday, and to underline the shocking fact that one in ten people in Ireland and one in seven over the age of 50 are living with Chronic Kidney Disease – and 98% of them have no idea.

CKD is now on course to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2040 – and as part of World Kidney Day, the Irish Kidney Association is launching its national campaign ‘1 in 10 People’ to highlight the often-silent threat of kidney disease and the need to take action now to reduce the risk of kidney failure and its serious consequences.

Alceina’s journey began in 1996 when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

“I was in my early twenties and just near the end of my training as a Nursing student. I graduated and progressed with my career.  After receiving support, education, and altering my lifestyle choices I qualified with a higher diploma in Midwifery,” she said.

“I tried to ensure my diabetes didn’t hold me back whilst prioritising my health choices, diet, exercise, and so on.

“I lived with diabetes for 28 years, and over time, my treatment results steadily improved. This sparked my interest in exploring ways to further enhance my health and outcomes.”

Alceina says she took control of her illness, guided by the expertise and dedication of many passionate healthcare professionals. She admits it was a challenge at times, but she continued with my nursing career and gave birth to her daughter, Rhianna, in 2008.

But her world changed again when she was told at a routine diabetes clinic that her kidney function was failing and that she would need a kidney transplant in the future.

Caption: Alceina O’Brien, a kidney and pancreas transplant recipient from Loughrea, with her 16-year-old daughter Rhianna.

Read Alceina’s full inspiring story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.