Family of ‘kind’ Buncrana pharmacist who died awaiting heart transplant appeal for organ donation

Declan Mulholland ran Duffy’s Pharmacy in the Inishowen town and there was an outpouring of grief and tributes after his sudden passing last week at the age of just 53.

His heartbroken daughter, Emer, said her beloved father ‘never would have believed that so many people cared so much about him.’

Many of the tributes spoke of how Declan, who is originally from Moira in Co. Down, was a ‘gentleman’ who always met people with a smile and went out of his way to help.

Emer told how the family saw this in action, as her father ‘always put people before himself.’

“He was very kind and even in the pharmacy, would spent hours talking to people - to the point where he wouldn’t get any work done and would still be working at 1am catching up.’

The tributes, she added, were “really lovely” and the family were also grateful for the funny stories that made them laugh.

Emer told how her father first became ill in November 2017, with flu-like symptoms, When they didn’t go away, he attended his GP, who decided to run some tests. During an ECG, it was found that there was something wrong with his heart and an ambulance was called straight away to take him to Letterkenny University Hospital.

He spent ‘a couple of weeks’ in Letterkenny before being transferred to the Mater Hospital in Dublin, where he was told he would need a heart transplant.

Emer said while this was frightening for her father, he was ‘very brave and never felt sorry for himself or complained about his condition.’

It was initially thought he would have to stay in the Mater for a few weeks to determine the correct medication, but he remained there for seven months, until August 2018.

“He was very, very ill,” explained Emer.

During his stay, in May 2018, Declan was fitted with an L-VAD - a left ventricle assistance device.

“This was done because he had complete heart failure. The L-Vad took over the function of the left ventricle. “

Emer said this device gave her father time he would otherwise not have had. Following his discharge from hospital, he was later able to go back to work in the pharmacy.

Declan was first placed on the transplant list in January 2018. Emer told how he was blood group O and ‘it can be difficult to get an organ to match with that blood group.’

However, three weeks ago, at an appointment in the Mater, Declan was told he was finally at the top of the transplant list, much to his family’s relief and delight.

“Mammy came home and told us and we were really happy. We thought he would be about two or three months away from getting his new heart. And then, he’d have recovery and things would be back to normal and we could start living this new life.”

But Declan’s family - as well as the local community- were left devastated when he was heartbreakingly taken from them far too soon. He died in his sleep at home on Wednesday, May 20.

Emer related how, on the day before he died, her father was ‘fine.’

“He didn’t look unwell and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. He was fine.”

In the midst of their grief, the family is admirably seeking to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.

“Organ donation was something that, as a family, we all agreed on even before all this happened. But we want to help promote it more now, I don’t think people realise just how much of an impact donating can have. It can save up to eight people.”

Emer outlined how many people on the transplant list have to ‘put their lives on hold’ and how, if more people were donors, they ‘wouldn’t have to wait for so long.’

The wait for a transplant not only comes with worry and health issues, but also impacts family and day to day life.

“It was a tough couple of years, with everything, but I also want to say how the doctors and nurses were so, so good to him,” said Emer.

And of course, every transplant gives the precious gift of time. While Declan Mulholland tragically didn’t receive that gift, his family want others to have the opportunity they sadly did not get.

Emer, a medical student in London, stressed how it is not only important to make a decision on being a donor, but to also let your family know of your wishes.

She added how she would like to see an ‘opt out’ system of organ donation here in Ireland, rather than the ‘opt in’ we currently have.

Last week, England rolled out an opt out system where everyone is now considered to be an organ donor unless they have recorded a decision not to donate, or are in one of the excluded groups.

Emer added how, if donation isn’t an option, she would ask people to consider donating blood or bone marrow as ‘these are also so important.’

Emer’s love and admiration for her father is evident and she told how her family are ‘taking it day by day’ since his passing.

She added how she still expects him to ‘walk through the door.’

“He was very funny, he never took life too seriously.

“He was never judgemental, so we could tell him anything and he supported us in everything we did, even if it seemed impossible to achieve. And I would attribute his encouragement as being part of the reason why my older brother and sister are Oxford and Harvard graduates respectively

He spoiled us constantly and we are so lucky to be able to call him our father.”

Declan Mulholland is survived by his wife Siobhan and children Patrick, Niamh, Emer and Eoin, his parents Patsy and Angela Mulholland, father-in-law Desmond Walsh, his sister Donna Henderson, his brothers Michael, Mark, Stephen and Terence, his extended family, relatives, friends and all his staff at Duffy’s Chemist.

*To find out more about organ donation in Ireland and to request an organ donor card, see www.ika.ie or www.hse.ie.

*For information on organ donation in Northern Ireland, see www.organdonationni.info