Ireland’s longest surviving cystic fibrosis lung transplant patient has died

Ireland’s longest surviving cystic fibrosis lung transplant patient has died.

Donegal man Brendan McLaughlin (51) died at the Mater Hospital in Dublin on Tuesday.

Mr McLaughlin had a lung transplant at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, UK, at a time before the lung transplant programme in Ireland had commenced.

He had waited several weeks on a life support machine before a suitable donor became available.

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He was the longest-surviving CF transplant recipient in Ireland - 26 years post-transplant - and the longest-surviving CF single lung transplant recipient in the world.

He was also the first person with CF from Ireland to be transplanted.

Having recovered from his life-saving surgery, the man from Stranorlar spent decades campaigning for better conditions for patients with cystic fibrosis across Ireland.

He was the chairperson of the Donegal Branch of the Cystic Fibrosis Association and campaigned vigorously for a lung transplant unit to be set up in Ireland.

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland expressed sadness at the loss of one of their most ardent campaigners. CEO Philip Watt described the Donegal man as a character and a friend and said he would be missed.

He will be buried in his native Stranorlar following funeral mass at the Church of Mary Immaculate at 11am on Thursday.