Brave Ellie leads organ donor week

A LITTLE Southside girl who survived a liver transplant when she was just a 16-month-old baby is helping to lead this year’s Organ Donor Awareness Week campaign.

Ellie Cole, from Rathfarnham, recently celebrated her ninth birthday as she joined the popular broadcaster Mary Kennedy, who has adopted the voluntary role of ambassador for Organ Donor Awareness 2014, on the 50th anniversary of Ireland’s first organ transplant.

In January 1964 the first transplant operation, a kidney transplant, took place at Jervis Street Hospital in Dublin.

Since then thousands have benefitted from the life saving procedures.

Ellie is just one of those and she is helping Mary and fellow transplant recipient, 16-year-old Jack Howard, from Cloonfad, Co Roscommon, who received a kidney transplant last July, to promote organ donation this year.

Ellie’s mum, Rose Marie Cole, explained how her daughter received her liver transplant in Kings College London when she was just 16-months-old.

Born with a rare liver disease Ellie was just eight weeks old when she received her first operation and she struggled to survive in her early life.

She was on the liver transplant waiting list for months before she was called to the UK for her liver transplant.

Rose Marie said the joy when Ellie received her transplant was tinged with sadness for the family who made the selfless decision to donate their baby’s organs so that Ellie and other lives could be saved.

“Initially after the transplant Ellie was very ill fighting against rejection of the donor liver but she eventually pulled through,

? Rose Marie said.

“Ellie is now a typical, healthy 9-year-old girl and adores One Direction who she is looking forward to seeing in concert in May.

“On Monday, February 24 she celebrated her 9th birthday and it’s thanks to her donor’s family that she reached this landmark.

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Having seen at first hand the profound impact of organ donation on her friends and relatives, Mary took over the reins from her fellow RTE broadcaster Joe Duffy who pledged his support to the campaign for the past three years.

Mary has highlighted organ donation stories throughout the years on RTE’s Nationwide and in 2010, when the IKA hosted the 6th European Transplant & Dialysis Games in Dublin, Mary fulfilled the role was the MC at the opening ceremony.

“It is a great honour to be asked by the Irish Kidney Association to help create awareness of the struggle for people with organ failure and to encourage conversations among families to consider organ donation in the event of untimely death,

? Mary said.

“I think that most people have been touched by organ donation in some way.

“I have seen it from both sides. My late uncle, Tom White, who was like a second father to me, sadly passed away in 2002 having been on dialysis for many years with kidney failure.

“I am deeply aware that the heartache experienced by my dear friends Martina and Denis Goggin, when their only son Ã?amonn tragically died in 2006 was tempered with the great consolation that the lives of four people were saved through honouring their son’s wish that his organs be donated.

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The 2014 campaign will feature Mary encouraging the public to support organ donation.

She will also attend the campaign’s national launch by Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly at the Mansion House on Wednesday, March 26.