Marathon runner Stephen Rubotham visiting the hospital ward of wife Niamh where she reunited with her kidney donor friend Lyndsay post transplant
Marathon man honours his wife and the donor who saved her life
A man ran the Dublin marathon in honour of his wife with kidney disease and her best friend, a Lucan resident who saved her life.
Stephen Rubotham ran the marathon for the Irish Kidney Association a month after his wife Niamh McCabe received a kidney transplant from her best friend Lindsay Daly at Beaumont Hospital.
Niamh has polycystic kidney disease and went into end stage kidney failure in 2024 before Lucan resident Lindsay came to the rescue after Stephen was found not to be a match, but not after another setback.
Husband Stephen said: We were devastated to learn I wasn’t a match, but Lindsay was waiting in the wings.
“After months of tests for Niamh and Lindsay’s operations to proceed, everything was lining up, but at the final stage, it was discovered that Niamh had developed unexplained antibodies.
“The surgery was called off.”
The year-long wait paid off in September when the living donor kidney transplant was carried out.
Best friend Lindsay was discharged five days after the procedure to recuperate while Niamh returned home a few days later.
Before her transplant Niamh had to step back from her role as a Special Needs Assistant as her chronic kidney disease had decreased her energy levels so much.
The mother of two went on a nightly peritoneal dialysis in January 2025 to combat this and saw improvements, even managing to go to Electric Picnic with her dialysis machine a week before the transplant operation.
“Dialysis didn’t stop her trying to live a normal life, despite her condition leaving her very tired. She’s incredible.”
Stephen had planned to run the marathon alongside his nephew Luke, who was set to fly from Australia to take part.
However, an infection ruled out Luke and Stephen decided to run on his own for a cause dear to his heart.
“The Irish Kidney Associa-tion has helped our family through some very tough years. This marathon is my way of giving back and raising awareness about kidney disease and organ donation.”
A fundraiser set up on eventmaster.ie to raise funds for the Irish Kidney Association smashed its target of €3,000.
Over €4,000 has been raised in aid of the charitable voluntary organisation as a result of Stephen’s run and Niamh and Lindsay’s story.
