Introduction: A year in review
Esther McCarthy looks back on 2025 with a mix of gratitude and candid honesty. The year started with a personal challenge—Sober October—and rolled into family milestones, community moments, and a renewed sense of resilience. It’s a year that felt like a long, cathartic conversation with life itself, where the everyday became a thread weaving together highs, lows, and hard-won hope.
Highlight: A spare kidney and a full heart
My 16-year-old nephew, Kieran, received a kidney transplant this year. Saying it out loud still feels slightly unreal. The relief, the gratitude, it is, quite literally, a new lease of life for Kieran. The moment the surgeon’s team confirmed the successful transplant was both miraculous and deeply human—a reminder that modern medicine is built on the courage of donors, the expertise of clinicians, and the steadfast hope of families. Watching Kieran adjust to life with a donor kidney has been a humbling education in patience, resilience, and the everyday miracles tucked into hospital living.
Lowlight: The long arc of recovery and uncertainty
Transplant journeys aren’t straight lines. There are days of cautious optimism followed by days of fatigue, tests, and a schedule that can look like a second job. For families, the emotional toll is real—waiting rooms, medication regimes, and the emotional math of gratefulness balancing fear. Yet in the quiet moments, the small wins—better energy, a new appetite for ordinary tasks, a renewed sense of future plans—begin to outshine the fear. It’s a reminder that life, even when fragile, is still worth fighting for with every breath and every supportive word from friends and neighbors.
October and beyond: Sober October as a turning point
Choosing Sober October earlier in the year set a tone of discipline and clarity that rippled through other parts of life. It was less about abstinence and more about reclaiming time, energy, and attention for the people and projects that matter. The simplicity of a clear head often reveals the real edges of a busy life—what’s essential, what’s optional, and what deserves more generous space. The discipline carried into everyday routines, from sleep patterns to social choices, and created a steadier rhythm that helped navigate the emotional ups and downs of a year marked by medical triumphs and personal growth.
Community moments: Cork carry on
There’s something uniquely Irish about the way communities rally around each other in times of upheaval. Whether it’s a local fundraiser, a supportive message from a neighbor, or a shared meal after a hospital visit, the Cork community—rippling out to family and friends across Ireland—has offered steady hands and open doors. It’s a reminder that collective care often travels faster than any individual effort, turning hardship into shared resilience and turning a difficult year into a series of meaningful connections.
Looking ahead: Hope anchored in gratitude
As 2025 closes, the focus shifts from endurance to renewal. The transplant is not just a medical milestone but a symbol of possibilities ahead—school milestones, family gatherings, and the everyday moments that felt unreachable during the tougher days. The plan is simple: nurture the gains, celebrate the small victories, and keep the channels of support open. If the year has taught anything, it’s that gratitude paired with action creates a durable foundation for whatever comes next.
Conclusion: A year of measured triumphs
Esther McCarthy’s 2025 story is not a single headline but a chorus of experiences—pride in a gift of life, relief that life can continue with greater clarity, and a community’s quiet strength. It’s a narrative of sober choices, family courage, and Cork’s enduring spirit, all united by hope for a future that feels not just possible but possible with heart.
