A senior police officer who donated his kidney to save the life of a nine-year-old boy was the winner of our 2021 999 Hero Award at last year’s Sunday Life Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards in association with Ulster Bank.

PSNI Chief Inspector Graham Dodds didn’t hesitate when he heard a heartfelt appeal on the radio from Joshua Dolan’s mum for a kidney to save her seriously ill son.

The live transplant surgeries were carried out in May 2021 and now, over a year on, both Joshua and Graham have made a full recovery and are enjoying a good quality of life.

And the two new friends were reunited for the first time to mark the first anniversary of the operation on May 18, when Graham made a surprise visit to Joshua’s Enniskillen home.

Graham, who has recently been appointed as head of the PSNI’s Road and Policy branch, said: “Joshua didn’t know anything about it and it was a great surprise for him.

Source: It was right thing to do, says PSNI officer on anniversary of donating kidney to nine-year-old boy