Latest news with #GeorgeMitchell
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Dáithí's letter from Bill Clinton stopped me in my tracks'
A young boy from Belfast has received a letter from a former US President. Dáithí Mac Gabhann who inspired a change in Northern Ireland's organ donation rules received a silver envelope through the letterbox on Thursday. The letter was embellished with "William Jefferson Clinton", who many will know as Bill Clinton. Dáithí's dad, Máirtín Mac Gabhann said the letter "stopped me in my tracks... the fact someone like President Clinton took the time to write this letter is amazing". Dáithí's Law was named after seven-year-old Belfast boy Dáithí Mac Gabhann, who has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant since 2018. The legislation means that most adults in Northern Ireland are now considered as potential organ donors after their death, unless they actively opt out. Mr Mac Gabhann told BBC News NI it was as if fate helped Dáithí receive this letter. "Dáithí and I were at Stormont to see the Secretary of State at a Good Friday Agreement event but he was running late... so we took a tour of the Freedom of the City Exhibition." When they went to view the exhibition Mr Mac Gabhann said President Clinton and Senator George Mitchell had been a couple of the last to receive the honour, in 2018. Dáithí also received the honour in 2023 in recognition of his campaign to raise awareness around organ donation. "I just had a thought and I reached out to Queen's and said I've written letters out about Dáithí and everything that's happened," Mr Mac Gabhann said. It's not every day a letter comes through door in Ballymurphy from a former US President… 🩷 #OrganDonation @BillClinton — Donate4Dáithí (@Donate4Daithi) May 30, 2025 He added that a response did come from Senator George Mitchell quickly because he had still been in Northern Ireland to respond. But the letter from the former president was something unexpected. "Dáithí hit a big redner, jaw on the floor... he knew this was big... he couldn't believe it... he was even getting a bit emotional about it all." He added that it's so positive to have this letter as Dáithí is about to reach his 7th anniversary of waiting for a heart transplant. "It gave us a much needed boost... Dáithí is stable now but this letter has saved the day for us... as he had been at hospital." Dáithí's 7th anniversary of being on a waiting list for a heart transplant falls on 2 June. In the letter to Dáithí, President Clinton said he was "so proud" to share the Freedom of the City honour "with someone as amazing as you". "Keep up your great work and know that you have a big fan pulling for you in New York." President Clinton ended the letter with one message - "Keep going!" "It was just an amazing letter, I got a separate letter from President Clinton and he said 'Your letter took my breath away. Press on!' and that's momentous," said Mr Mac Gabhann. Speaking about his son, Mr Mac Gabhann said it has been a long fight and journey for Dáithí but "luck has been on our side" and "the hope is what keeps you going". He reiterated his call for those to consider joining the organ donor register and to talk about it with family and friends. "We rely on the community, our close community, far and wide... don't forget about us. At our lowest points they (the community) have brought us up... as has President Clinton." Dáithí's Law campaigner among Birthday Honours 'Amazing legacy' of Dáithí's Law hailed one year on Organ law inspiration, 6, given freedom honour
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Dáithí's letter from Bill Clinton stopped me in my tracks'
A young boy from Belfast has received a letter from a former US President. Dáithí Mac Gabhann who inspired a change in Northern Ireland's organ donation rules received a silver envelope through the letterbox on Thursday. The letter was embellished with "William Jefferson Clinton", who many will know as Bill Clinton. Dáithí's dad, Máirtín Mac Gabhann said the letter "stopped me in my tracks... the fact someone like President Clinton took the time to write this letter is amazing". Dáithí's Law was named after seven-year-old Belfast boy Dáithí Mac Gabhann, who has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant since 2018. The legislation means that most adults in Northern Ireland are now considered as potential organ donors after their death, unless they actively opt out. Mr Mac Gabhann told BBC News NI it was as if fate helped Dáithí receive this letter. "Dáithí and I were at Stormont to see the Secretary of State at a Good Friday Agreement event but he was running late... so we took a tour of the Freedom of the City Exhibition." When they went to view the exhibition Mr Mac Gabhann said President Clinton and Senator George Mitchell had been a couple of the last to receive the honour, in 2018. Dáithí also received the honour in 2023 in recognition of his campaign to raise awareness around organ donation. "I just had a thought and I reached out to Queen's and said I've written letters out about Dáithí and everything that's happened," Mr Mac Gabhann said. He added that a response did come from Senator George Mitchell quickly because he had still been in Northern Ireland to respond. But the letter from the former president was something unexpected. "Dáithí hit a big redner, jaw on the floor... he knew this was big... he couldn't believe it... he was even getting a bit emotional about it all." He added that it's so positive to have this letter as Dáithí is about to reach his 7th anniversary of waiting for a heart transplant. "It gave us a much needed boost... Dáithí is stable now but this letter has saved the day for us... as he had been at hospital." Dáithí's 7th anniversary of being on a waiting list for a heart transplant falls on 2 June. In the letter to Dáithí, President Clinton said he was "so proud" to share the Freedom of the City honour "with someone as amazing as you". "Keep up your great work and know that you have a big fan pulling for you in New York." President Clinton ended the letter with one message - "Keep going!" "It was just an amazing letter, I got a separate letter from President Clinton and he said 'Your letter took my breath away. Press on!' and that's momentous," said Mr Mac Gabhann. Speaking about his son, Mr Mac Gabhann said it has been a long fight and journey for Dáithí but "luck has been on our side" and "the hope is what keeps you going". He reiterated his call for those to consider joining the organ donor register and to talk about it with family and friends. "We rely on the community, our close community, far and wide... don't forget about us. At our lowest points they (the community) have brought us up... as has President Clinton." Dáithí's Law campaigner among Birthday Honours 'Amazing legacy' of Dáithí's Law hailed one year on Organ law inspiration, 6, given freedom honour
BBC News
31-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Dáithí's letter from Bill Clinton made us emotional'
A young boy from Belfast has received a letter from a former US President. Dáithí Mac Gabhann who inspired a change in Northern Ireland's organ donation rules received a silver envelope through the letterbox on Thursday. The letter was embellished with "William Jefferson Clinton", who many will know as Bill Clinton. Dáithí's dad, Máirtín Mac Gabhann said the letter "stopped me in my tracks... the fact someone like President Clinton took the time to write this letter is amazing". Dáithí's Law was named after seven-year-old Belfast boy Dáithí Mac Gabhann, who has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant since legislation means that most adults in Northern Ireland are now considered as potential organ donors after their death, unless they actively opt out. Mr Mac Gabhann told BBC News NI it was as if fate helped Dáithí receive this letter. "Dáithí and I were at Stormont to see the Secretary of State at a Good Friday Agreement event but he was running late... so we took a tour of the Freedom of the City Exhibition." When they went to view the exhibition Mr Mac Gabhann said President Clinton and Senator George Mitchell had been a couple of the last to receive the honour, in 2018. Dáithí also received the honour in 2023 in recognition of his campaign to raise awareness around organ donation."I just had a thought and I reached out to Queen's and said I've written letters out about Dáithí and everything that's happened," Mr Mac Gabhann said. He added that a response did come from Senator George Mitchell quickly because he had still been in Northern Ireland to respond. But the letter from the former president was something unexpected. "Dáithí hit a big redner, jaw on the floor... he knew this was big... he couldn't believe it... he was even getting a bit emotional about it all." He added that it's so positive to have this letter as Dáithí is about to reach his 7th anniversary of waiting for a heart transplant. "It gave us a much needed boost... Dáithí is stable now but this letter has saved the day for us... as he had been at hospital."Dáithí's 7th anniversary of being on a waiting list for a heart transplant falls on 2 June. In the letter to Dáithí, President Clinton said he was "so proud" to share the Freedom of the City honour "with someone as amazing as you". "Keep up your great work and know that you have a big fan pulling for you in New York." President Clinton ended the letter with one message - "Keep going!" "It was just an amazing letter, I got a separate letter from President Clinton and he said 'Your letter took my breath away. Press on!' and that's momentous," said Mr Mac Gabhann. Speaking about his son, Mr Mac Gabhann said it has been a long fight and journey for Dáithí but "luck has been on our side" and "the hope is what keeps you going". He reiterated his call for those to consider joining the organ donor register and to talk about it with family and friends. "We rely on the community, our close community, far and wide... don't forget about us. At our lowest points they (the community) have brought us up... as has President Clinton."
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Teenager admits causing fatal crash on A977
A teenage motorist has admitted causing the death of a 57-year-old man by driving on the wrong side of the Anderson, 19, drove his Peugeot van onto the opposing carriageway where he collided with a Land Rover Freelander being driven by George collision happened on the A977 between Gartarry Roundabout, Alloa, and Forestmill, Clackmannanshire in December from Motherwell, admitted causing Mr Mitchell's death by careless driving and will be sentenced on 17 June. Mr Mitchell was so severely injured that he died at the Smith KC, defending, reserved mitigation until the sentencing hearing, when the Crown will outline the facts of the Smith said: "Mr Anderson is keen on this first opportunity to formally and publicly record his sincere remorse that this accident caused such tragic consequences and also to offer his condolences, and those of his family, to the family of Mr Mitchell, some of whom are present in court."Sentence was deferred for background reports and an assessment of Anderson's suitability for an electronic tag and Christopher Shead imposed an immediate driving ban, the length of which will be determined later.
Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Times
If Trump passes on Ukraine, it'll be up to us
Former US senator George Mitchell is rightly credited with making a decisive contribution to peace in Northern Ireland, helping to steer for over two years the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement in 1998. Even for him, a man of wisdom and humility, it was often an exasperating process that required exceptional persistence — in his own words 'seven hundred days of failure and one day of success'. In what already seems a different age of American leadership, Mitchell brought to the process qualities of trustworthiness, fair-mindedness, leverage and, above all, patience. In its efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the US is taking the opposite approach. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, has already threatened to give up trying, with President
