Irish Post THE SERVING THE IRISH COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970 AUGUST 20, 2011 | £1.30 | Eurozone €1.95 For BREAKING NEWS visit our website – www.irishpost.co.uk CORR ON TOUR Sharon Corr strikes out on her own with a British tour See page 12 A CO. LEITRIM family will not have to move to Britain while their daugh- ter waits for a vital organ donor here. Ballinamore teenager Mead- hbh McGivern is on a priority list for receiving an organ from a non-heartbeating donor. The 14-year-old made head- lines last month when a series of transport failures in Ireland meant she could not be airlifted to King’s College Hospital in Lon- don for a liver transplant. A Health Information and Quality Authority report this week recommended that the HSE should ensure that parents of potential liver transplant patients were involved in dis- cussions about the logistics of allocating an organ for their child. The report said parents of patients who live more than three hours’ travel time from the British hospital where the opera- tion will be carried out should possibly consider relocating to Dublin or London. But dad Joe McGivern said plans are now in place to ensure that Meadhbh would be able to travel to London in sufficient time if they receive news of another donor organ. And so the family will continue to live in Leitrim. “We have checked with King’s College Hospital and there is a window of between four and eight hours for donors of non- heartbeating donors,” Mr McGivern said. Meadhbh is now going into her second consecutive year on a donor waiting list. “I think she holds the hon- ourable title of being the longest child ever on the liver transplant waiting list in Ireland,” her dad said. Mr McGivern has also revealed he has alternative transport plans in case no aircraft is available from the Air Corps or Irish Coast Guard when another organ becomes available. He said he has arranged to use a private air ambulance located at Weston Airport in Leixlip, Co. Kildare and that the family would start travelling towards Dublin as soon as they got another call about a donor organ. That would give them the option of using aircraft based at Dublin Airport, Baldonnel and Weston. The HIQA report, commis- sioned by Irish Health Minister James Reilly,looked into why no aircraft was available to transport Meadhbh to London on July 2 in time to avail of the liver transplant. It said the lack of a single coor- dinating agency or individual with overall charge of a patient’s transport arrangements was to blame for the failure. FERRIS FIRED UP FOR FRENCH Exclusive interview with Irish rugby star Stephen Ferris See page 47 No British move for transplant girl’s family BUDDING ROSES Check out our four-page guide to all 32 finalists at this year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival See centre pages Meadhbh McGivern with parents Joe and Assumpta. Inset: Chief Executive of the Health Information and Quality Authority Tracey Cooper during the launch of a report which details the findings of the Meadhbh McGivern inquiry. Main picture: Brian Farrell

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Irish PostTHESERVING THE IRISH COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

AUGUST 20, 2011 | £1.30 | Eurozone €1.95 For BREAKING NEWS visit our website – www.irishpost.co.uk

CORR ON TOURSharon Corr strikes outon her own with a British tourSee page 12

ACO. LEITRIM family willnot have to move toBritain while their daugh-

ter waits for a vital organ donorhere.

Ballinamore teenager Mead-hbh McGivern is on a prioritylist for receiving an organ from anon-heartbeating donor.

The 14-year-old made head-lines last month when a series oftransport failures in Irelandmeant she could not be airliftedto King’s College Hospital in Lon-don for a liver transplant.

A Health Information andQuality Authority report thisweek recommended that theHSE should ensure that parentsof potential liver transplantpatients were involved in dis-cussions about the logistics ofallocating an organ for theirchild.

The report said parents ofpatients who live more thanthree hours’ travel time from theBritish hospital where the opera-tion will be carried out shouldpossibly consider relocating toDublin or London.

But dad Joe McGivern saidplans are now in place to ensurethat Meadhbh would be able totravel to London in sufficienttime if they receive news ofanother donor organ. And so thefamily will continue to live inLeitrim.

“We have checked with King’sCollege Hospital and there is a

window of between four andeight hours for donors of non-heartbeating donors,” MrMcGivern said.

Meadhbh is now going into hersecond consecutive year on adonor waiting list.

“I think she holds the hon-ourable title of being the longestchild ever on the liver transplantwaiting list in Ireland,” her dadsaid.

Mr McGivern has alsorevealed he has alternative trans-port plans in case no aircraft isavailable from the Air Corps orIrish Coast Guard when anotherorgan becomes available.

He said he has arranged to usea private air ambulance locatedat Weston Airport in Leixlip, Co.Kildare and that the familywould start travelling towardsDublin as soon as they got anoth-er call about a donor organ.

That would give them theoption of using aircraft based atDublin Airport, Baldonnel andWeston.

The HIQA report, commis-sioned by Irish Health MinisterJames Reilly, looked into why noaircraft was available to trans-port Meadhbh to London on July2 in time to avail of the livertransplant.

It said the lack of a single coor-dinating agency or individualwith overall charge of a patient’stransport arrangements was toblame for the failure.

FERRIS FIRED UP FOR FRENCHExclusive interview with Irish rugby star Stephen FerrisSee page 47

No British move fortransplant girl’s family

BUDDING ROSESCheck out ourfour-pageguide to all32 finalists atthis year’sRose of TraleeInternationalFestivalSee centre pages

Meadhbh McGivern with parents Joe and Assumpta. Inset: Chief Executive of the Health Information and Quality Authority Tracey Cooper during thelaunch of a report which details the findings of the Meadhbh McGivern inquiry. Main picture: Brian Farrell