'My wife and girls mean the world to me' - Kilkenny hurling hero awaits kidney transplant

For Derek Deegan, life looks very different than it used to. The 37-year-old, now living in Graignamanagh with his wife and two young children, was raised in Threecastles, County Kilkenny, where hurling is in the blood.

He lived and breathed the game from the moment he could lift a hurl. Club, school and even underage for Kilkenny, it was more than just sport. It was his identity, pride and passion. He was lucky enough to win numerous county championships along with a few All-Irelands.

Hurling was his reason to push hard in everything – whether on the pitch or travelling the country as a calibration engineer. But in 2018, a routine work screening pointed towards high protein in urine. He was referred to a nephrologist, went for annual check-ups but there was no concerning issue at the time.

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Suddenly, in 2023, after just a general check-in with his GP, follow-up blood tests revealed something serious – a sharp decline in kidney function. 

A kidney biopsy soon followed which diagnosed Derek with suspected IgA Nephropathy, an auto-immune disease.

Over the next few months, Derek reached end-stage kidney disease. His energy at this stage collapsed, eating became difficult and was just exhausted all the time.

A fistula was inserted into his arm and began dialysis treatment in May 2024. Now, three days a week, he wakes before dawn to get ready for a 50-minute HSE taxi ride to University Hospital Waterford for 7.30am sessions which take 4 hours to complete.

To pass the time on dialysis, he brings his laptop and notes and works from the hospital bed. He’s grateful for an understanding employer. “I’m just so used to it now” he says. “Tiredness is constant, but it’s part of the routine.”

Although he had to give up hurling, he has stayed close to the game through coaching.

Last season, his local club Threecastles, where he was on the management team, won the county title and then went one better with a Leinster championship.

This year he remains on with Threecastles but has added Blacks & Whites intermediate team to his agenda. As you can see, Derek likes to keep busy.

Off the pitch his family is growing. Just before Christmas gone, he and his wife Anita welcomed their second child, baby Róisín.

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Their first daughter, Méabh is just 20 months old. "My wife and girls mean the world to me. They give me the strength to keep going."

He doesn’t hide the fact that the journey to dialysis shook him mentally. “I was struggling. I needed help, and I got it.”

Taking part in the Peer Support Programme run by the Irish Kidney Association gave him connection to others who also faced health journeys.

It put him at ease and gave me the tools to cope. Now, Derek is an ambassador for the Peer Support programme and encourages others to talk, to ask for help, and to mind their mental health just as much as the physical.

He’s on the transplant waiting list now, hopeful for the future.

As Organ Donor Awareness Week takes place from May 10-17, Derek is sharing his story to help others understand what kidney failure means and how by talking to your loved ones about organ donation they are giving hope to others in organ failure.

“Talk to your loved ones. Make your wishes known. That one conversation could change everything, for families like mine.”

From Kilkenny hurling to dialysis, his mindset remains strong, and now while on the transplant list for a kidney he is playing the waiting game.