Frank Deasy

Frank Deasy (19 May 1959 – 17 September 2009)

Preceding his death from liver cancer on 17 September 2009, Deasy spoke in public about his condition. An appearance on RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline led to a record increase in organ donor card requests in Ireland.

Life and career Deasy was a native of Artane, Dublin. For RTÉ he wrote Father & Son, which achieved 26% and 27% audience shares for its first two episodes broadcast on RTÉ One in 2009 and was consistently within Ireland's Top Ten television programmes throughout its run. Father & Son features a character, Barrington Smith, who suffers from kidney malfunction and must escape from prison to find a cure. He also wrote films and had a co-credit on Miramax's Prozac Nation, featuring Christina Ricci, Jessica Lange and Lou Reed. One year before his death, Gaza featured on the "Brit List", which features the most deserving unproduced screenplays in Ireland and the United Kingdom. He was also supposed to be writing an eight-part BBC drama series about the House of Medici. Deasy was first diagnosed with liver cancer four years before his death.

Days before his death from the disease, Deasy began discussing his condition in public forums. On his final Sunday, The Observer featured an article detailing his suffering and using it to request more organ donors. Deasy said: "I am only one of thousands of patients on organ transplant lists in Britain, living on our own, invisible, death row".

The following day, Deasy's story was carried by The Scotsman newspaper. Later that day, he appeared on Joe Duffy's Liveline programme on RTÉ Radio 1 appealing for more organ donors and insisting that it was a "very urgent matter". The Evening Herald carried Deasy's story on 16 September, one day before his death in The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Tributes Mark Murphy, CEO of the Irish Kidney Association, praised Deasy's "selflessness" during his final days alive. In its editorial on 18 September 2009, the Evening Herald said Deasy "gave hope to thousands".

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 1993 British Academy Television Award Best Single Drama The Grass Arena 1999 RTS Programme Award Best Writer Looking After Jo Jo 2007British Academy Television Award Best Drama Serial Prime Suspect: The Final Act Best Writer Prime Suspect: The Final Act Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special Prime Suspect: The Final Act 2009 ZeBBie Award Best Television Script Father & Son (Episode 1) 2010 Irish Film & Television Award Script (Television) Father & Son