That Thursday 30th September i felt rotten so i go to hospital to see Dr O Neill who thankfully was on holidays. I have an xray lung function was 16 so they put me on antibiotics on Friday morn the first. I get an emergency call wanting me admitted to Castlebar. I decline as O Neill is gone and it was the weekend. I had plans. I agreed if i felt no better I’d be in on Tuesday to which they agreed. To this day something told me not to go. So the weekend passed and i worked hard to get better on Monday evening. I went to bed to watch Bill Cullens apprentice phone rings private number and poor girl says hello is this William O’ Toole, me, yes girl – date of birth William so after I told her she goes on to say where was i at the moment I told her at home if i had been in Castlebar general. Game over too much chance of bringing MRSA etc to a transplant/Cancer hospital. She then asked how was my health to which I answered truthfully she then told me that a young 28 YO has donated his lungs that had lost his battle with cancer. I had 5 minutes to decide if I would like to go for it i told her yes I don’t need 5 minutes my time was now. So with needles hanging from my arm I left the room to tell them all i was in Martinas house and I met my niece Rachel coming out of her room she knew something was up she turned in her heal tears in her eyes and i presume hid under the covers.

When we got to Newcastle there was an ambulance who rushed to the plane with oxygen and wheelchair. I declined both ambulance men just looked confused. I never ever want to be seen as weak and i never will. When we got to the freeman hospital they took blood now there was me and 2 others so best match gets the organs. Martina was with me as dad and olive were in Portugal. After bloods a little Chinese nurse pops in with a razor and anti sceptic wash I don’t to this day did she expect me to let her shave me but I just said thanks love Il look after that to which I did so after x ray and bloods I could feel blood beginning to bubble in my throat. I needed to give a sample worst time ever.

Gerry mitre came into room ironically he worked in Ireland with Cystic fibrosis but came to Newcastle as watching kids pass away broke his heart. So I had all tests done and went for a snooze what happened in them 5 hour was Martina got called out by Gerry and was told if these lungs didn’t match I had only a couple of days to live so they weren’t lying in Castlebar. 8 am that morning panic stations Lyn Holt transplant Coordinator came in and asked was i ready to which I froze and said what’s for me won’t pass me. Some might think this was brave but when you live with this disease for 24 years a time comes where you are sick of being sick. This was my one and only opportunity to be around for my nieces and nephew as well as my wonderful family. So thrown onto a wheelchair and wheeled to anesthetist room. Where the fun began some might no what a central vein is and it need to be accessed to keep me breathing well the anesthetic doctor decided a student would do the right arm and he would do the last after the 4th attempt I told the student to not touch my arm again or I’d fuck the needle up his hole so then they knew what an angry sore Irish man sounded like. Poor Lyn holt couldn’t stop laughing.