When Derek Deegan went in for a routine health check back in 2018, he never expected it would mark the beginning of a long and life-changing medical journey. At the time, doctors found traces of protein in his urine—a small red flag that led to yearly checkups with a kidney specialist in Waterford’s Universal Hospital. For years, things remained stable, uneventful.
That changed dramatically in 2023.
“I had gone to my GP for something else entirely,” Derek recalls. “They ran blood checks and suddenly my kidney function had dropped off a cliff.”
The diagnosis was IgA Nephropathy (also known as Berger disease), an autoimmune disease that affects the kidneys. By the time doctors discovered it, Derek was already entering end-stage kidney failure. Within weeks, he was undergoing kidney biopsies and preparing for dialysis.
Today, Derek attends dialysis three times a week—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—for four-hour sessions at Waterford’s dialysis unit.
At home, life is a whirlwind. He and his wife Anita are raising two young daughters—20-month-old Meadhbh and newborn Róisín.
“It’s a mad house even without dialysis,” he laughs. “But they’re my reason for everything. They keep me going.”
Anita has been his rock throughout the ordeal.
Derek’s story comes as Organ Donation Awareness Week kicks off on Saturday, 10 May, running until 17 May. It’s a cause that’s now deeply personal to him.
“To anyone out there who hasn’t thought about organ donation—just have the conversation,” he urges. “Talk to your family. Tick the box on your driving licence. That one decision could change—or save—someone’s life.”
Derek is currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. For people like him, a donor organ is more than a gift—it’s a second chance.
You can listen back to Derek’s story as he spoke with KCLR News’ Martin Quilty:
