After receiving a double lung transplant, a woman claimed that the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was "denying hope" to those who were waiting for a transplant because of "party politics.".
After the Stormont assembly failed to elect a Speaker and move an stalled organ donation law forward, this occurs.
According to Catherine McCarroll, being put on the transplant waiting list is a "death sentence.".
According to the DUP, efforts are being made in Parliament to ensure that the legislation is in place by the spring of 2023.
According to the new legislation, unless they specifically stated otherwise, all adults in Northern Ireland would be eligible to donate their organs after passing away.
It is known as Dáith's Law in honor of Dáith Mac Gabhann, a six-year-old boy whose campaign led to the legislative change and who needs a heart transplant.
The Stormont assembly convened on Tuesday in an attempt to pass Dáith's Law, but that failed because a Speaker was not chosen to permit legislative activity to proceed.
As part of its ongoing opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, the DUP had already declared that it would obstruct the election of a Speaker.
After receiving a pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis in 2018, Dr. McCarroll was added to the transplant waiting list after becoming critically ill in 2021.
It was "an agonizing wait for everyone involved," she told BBC News NI. ".
When you are put on a transplant list, it really is a death sentence until you get the call about an organ, said Dr. McCarroll. "It's exhausting mentally and physically.".
For families who were awaiting that phone call, the 31-year-old stated that "every day is a struggle.".
Dr. McCarroll asserted that the DUP shouldn't "play politics with people's lives" because until someone is actually in that situation, they can't truly understand what it's like.
She claimed that she was speaking out to urge the DUP to return to the assembly and to try to educate people about organ donation.
She remarked, "I just think it's ridiculous, it's not even a political issue, and the DUP is just using this for their party politics.
The DUP "made the wrong choice" on Tuesday by declining to back a Speaker, she continued.
For the "good of the population," she claimed, it was obvious that Dáith's Law should be enacted.
She said: "Of course, nothing is going to change overnight, but it is a step in the right direction for those who are awaiting transplants.".
Dr. McCarroll claimed that her health deteriorated and her breathing became significantly more difficult months after giving birth to her daughter Eve in March 2021.
Before my transplant, I was completely bed-bound and ended up needing oxygen 24 hours a day, she said.
She was transported by air to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, England, in January 2022. There, she underwent surgery and received a double lung transplant while being kept alive by a machine.
She endured a traumatic two months away from her daughter and husband before returning to Belfast in March 2022.
In the coming weeks, she is scheduled to start working again.
Most politicians, according to Dr. McCarroll, are unaware of what it's like to wait for a transplant.
Everyday is a battle for your life, she declared.
The DUP was contacted by BBC News NI to comment on what Dr. McCarroll said.
According to the party, "We are working in the House of Commons to ensure that the organ donor legislation is implemented for spring 2023 as originally planned.
"If the [Northern Ireland] Protocol had been replaced 18 months ago with policies that unionists could support, devolution would be in operation today.
"Since Parliament is sovereign, the government must see to it that the presumed consent legislation is implemented.
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