Two women on the opposite sides of the country have come together to celebrate their remarkable connection – as the two longest-surviving functioning transplant recipients in the country.

Bernie Glynn, from Ballylee between Peterswell and Gort, received the precious gift of a deceased donor kidney transplant 45 years ago, on March 2 1979, at Jervis Street – the same hospital where Christine Kelly underwent hers five years earlier. That makes Bernie the longest functioning kidney transplant from a deceased donor – and Christine, the longest functioning kidney transplant from a living donor.

Now both in their seventies, they’ve subsequently triumphed over cancer while their donor kidneys continue to function well.

And their stories underscore the progress in medical science and the impact of organ donation, honoured by surprise visits from fellow recipients.

This success also credits the dedicated medical teams who cared for them over five decades.

In acknowledgment of their extraordinary stories the Irish Kidney Association arranged for surprise visits by fellow transplant recipients to their homes in Dublin and Galway to present the ladies with bouquets of flowers – further honouring their remarkable resilience and inspiring others on similar paths.

Making a surprise visit to Bernie’s home to present her with flowers, on behalf of the IKA, to mark her milestone 45th transplant anniversary was Ruth McGann from New Inn, who herself underwent a transplant from her living donor brother Gary McGann ten years ago.

Caption: Bernie Glynn.

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