12-yr-old Arron O’Leary from Ballinhassig, Co. Cork was called for the operation in Newcastle just days after his dad, Paul, told Santy that their Christmas wish was to have a cure for cystic fibrosis and for Arron to receive the transplant.
Arron’s parents, Paul and Caroline stayed by their son’s bedside in Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital last night. They said they are thrilled at how well he is doing after Monday’s surgery.
“Aaron was very sick and was going downhill. But he’s sitting up now and smiling, asking about the donor and asking for cups of tea,” Arron’s dad said.
Arron was one of 200 sick children who visited Santy at Fota House with the Cork City Hospitals Children’s Club last Thursday week.
Santy heard the family’s Christmas wish and amazingly the miracle happened the very next day.
The family were at the official opening of Cork University Hospital’s new cystic fibrosis unit on Monday when the Freeman’s cardiopulmonary transplant service miraculously phoned to say a donor match had been found.
The family were driven by garda escort to Cork Airport, where a chartered aircraft was waiting to fly them to Newcastle. Arron was in surgery within an hour.
The young man is now recovering and the family are looking forward to a miraculous Christmas ahead.