Southsiders back Organ Donor Awareness Week

THIS week marks Organ Donor Awareness Week 2019 that was launched by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris at the Mansion House.

The annual campaign which takes place until April 6 is organised by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) and supported by the Organ Donation Transplant Ireland (ODTI). 

The focus of Organ Donor Awareness Week is to remind individuals to talk to their families about their organ donation wishes and keep the reminders of their decision available by carrying the organ donor card permitting Code 115 to be included on their driver’s licence and having the ‘digital organ donor card’ APP on their smartphone.

The week has been supported by a number of Southsiders, including Sarah Duke, from Lucan, who was pictured at the launch with her liver transplant recipient daughter Chloe (3).

Among the other stories featured in this year’s campaign is Greg Foley, a DCU lecturer, from Sandyford, who underwent a double lung transplant in 2002 in Newcastle. Then,  in January 2011 as his kidney function was comprised by medication, he underwent a kidney transplant following a year on haemodialysis which he underwent at the Beacon in Sandyford three times a week.

Luke Concannon (13) from Lucan underwent a kidney transplant in March 2014 from a deceased donor just before his ninth birthday. Luke’s mother Karen Concannon explained that her only child Luke was born with kidney issues and commenced dialysis treatment when he was just a few months old which he continued with for almost nine years until the time he got his transplant five years ago.

The week also serves as the key annual fundraiser for the IKA as volunteers sell their forget-me-not flower emblem and other merchandise with proceeds going to supporting services to kidney patients and their families.

Ray D’Arcy has taken up the voluntary role of Ambassador for Organ Donor Awareness 2019.

At the campaign’s national launch, Mark Murphy, Chief Executive of the Irish Kidney Association said: “We must never forget the selfless generosity of the families of deceased donors. It is thanks to 81 donors in 2018 that 234 organ transplants took place.”

Mr Murphy added that 2018 was a mostly average year for organ donation and for transplantation including heart, lung, liver and kidney transplantation.

The number of people on transplant waiting pools for all organs including kidney, heart, lung, liver and pancreas is approximately 550.