Cystic fibrosis campaigner and double lung transplant recipient Orla Tinsley has been hospitalised in New York in recent days.
Ms Tinsley, who is from Co Kildare but lives in New York, was hospitalised as doctors were required to clear an extremely painful "unusual obstruction," she said in a post on Instagram.
Ms Tinsley is a writer, and has spent years campaigning for better treatment for cystic fibrosis patients. She began writing about the condition for The Irish Times in 2005, and she has also been a strong advocate for the benefits of organ donation.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 1,200 children and adults in Ireland.
In December 2017 Ms Tinsley received a successful double lung transplant, and in recent days she was admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital for treatment.
“The post transplant life is never totally smooth but compared to most people my experience has been pretty great,” she said, in an Instagram post on Sunday night.
“Luckily the awesome EMT, ER, surgical and transplant teams @nyphospital were on hand this past week to sort out my unusual obstruction,” she said.
“It has taken longer but I am full time back at school, back to life, back at work and living,” she wrote.
“Pausing in the transitory plain of the ER with extreme pain is a reminder of the illusion of it all, of how quickly it can crumble away and how lucky we are to have it. Preserving, helping and loving one another now are endless and enduring acts that move us forward together. I am so grateful for all I have received the past week,” she said.
Ms Tinsley, who recently celebrated her birthday, thanked those who had sent her well wishes.
