Celbridge student holding organ donor awareness event at Maynooth University
Four students at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, who have all been touched by organ failure, are holding organ donor awareness activities at the campus during Organ Donor Awareness Week (31 March – 7th April). Two of the students, Peter Kearney (from Celbridge) and Meadhbh McGivern (from Leitrim) underwent organ transplants as children, a kidney and liver respectively. The other two students, Cassandra O’Brien (Navan) and Donal Ryan (Kilkenny city) were involved in the living kidney donor process.
The four students have joined forces to organise information stands on organ donation at three locations around the campus during the Irish Kidney Association’s Organ Donor Awareness Week. In the following week, the students are also planning a Discussion Forum on organ donation. Guest speakers will include Colin White, the National Projects Manager of the Irish Kidney Association and taking part will be the Dr. Haydn Gurmin from Maynooth’s Department of Philosophy who is keen to tie in the discussion with social policy and ethics as part of the Applied Social Science course which Cassandra, Donal and Meadhbh are studying.
One of the organisers is part-time DJ, Peter Kearney (26), from Celbridge, who is studying Business Management. Peter underwent a kidney transplant when he was just two and a half years old. In September 2017, he returned to dialysis treatment as his transplanted kidney failed after twenty-three years. Peter is keen to promote organ donation and last November, he organised information stands on organ donation on campus which attracted great interest and participation from students and staff alike resulting in close to 500 people making an informed decision to carry an organ donor card.
Peter explained that, “Soon after I was born one of my underdeveloped kidneys had to be removed and then a year later I underwent another operation for the removal of my remaining kidney. Then came nightly sessions of dialysis treatment which was doing the work of my missing kidneys and keeping me alive. The treatment was a form of home dialysis, called Peritoneal, which I underwent every night for eight hours at a time. I have no memory of this tumultuous time in my early life, but I understand from my parents that it was a very worrying time for my family as I was very sick and needed a transplant to survive.”
“The successful kidney transplant which I had received from a deceased donor brought me through my early childhood, teens and into my early twenties. There is no way to express in words how grateful myself and my family are to my deceased donor for giving me a chance at life.”
“Although I had known for some years the inevitability that my transplant kidney would eventually fail, it was still difficult to accept when I reached to point of having to return to dialysis treatment in September 2017. I now attend Beaumont Hospital three days a week for 4 hourly treatments. I’ve had to split my academic year into two years because of the constraints that my dialysis brings. I remain positive and like a challenge and hope that I can help make an impact in spreading organ donor awareness.”
Meadhbh McGivern (21), from Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim, made national headlines in 2011 over a transport debacle when her family were unable to get urgent transport to fly her to the UK for the liver transplant she was called for. Two months later she underwent a successfulliver transplant at Kings Hospital in London. She was 14 years old. Maedhbh explained, “I received my liver transplant in September 2011. My liver began to show signs of deterioration early in life. My childhood, and into my early teens was traumatic with a lot of sickness and various medical procedures. Regular hospital stays were the norm which had a huge impact on my education and life as a young adolescent. When I was eventually listed for transplant in 2010 my health was starting to fail. School ceased in November 2010. My spleen had become so enlarged that the pain became unbearable. While a vigorous pain management regime helped, I spent my time in a daze. Pyjamas, TV and sleeping was my day. No energy, unable to do anything. And getting worse. That’s all behind me now. I received a liver from a deceased donor and have never looked back. While anonymous, I pray for my deceased donor and their wonderful family every day. The ending of my donor’s life meant a new start to mine. Needless to say, I have been a strong advocate of organ donation ever since. The importance cannot be over stated. I am now half way through a social science degree in NUIM. Life is good. I am so lucky, and so thankful.”
Cassandra Fogarty from Navan donated a kidney to her son Jack in 2005 and at the time they were they youngest parent and child to undergo a living donor kidney transplant in Ireland. She was just over 20 years old at the time and Jack was just two.
She is now studying Applied Social Science and after graduating she hopes to find work in the charity sector or in policy making. Cassandra said, “Having seen how sick my son Jack was as a baby it is such a joy to see him leading a normal life like any typical teenager now. This would not have been possible were it not for him receiving a kidney transplant. Donating a kidney did not impact on my health and I went on to have another child after the living donor kidney transplant. I am now enjoying going to University as a mature student. I want to show people how important organ donation is and look forward to sharing information and my experience in the hope that I can make a difference to raising awareness about organ donation, the ‘gift of life’.”
“I am delighted that the University’s GAA department are willing to support organ donor awareness by agreeing that the Campus’ 13 GAA teams will wear jerseys which will feature #Optforlife branding which endorses organ donation. I hope that the discussion forum generates robust dialogue which will reinforce to all those attending the importance of organ donation.”
Cassandra and Donal also ran a campaign on campus for last year’s organ donor awareness week last April which attracted a lot of interaction and resulted in 1000 donor cards being distributed.
Another student involved in the organ donor awareness initiatives is mature student Donal Ryan from Blackmill in Kilkenny city. He and his sister Arlene went through rigorous screening to be living kidney donors for Arlene’s husband Seamus but in the end, Donal was not selected..Donal said, “Having seen first-hand the effects of organ failure on the extended family of a patient I would encourage everyone to have the conversation about organ donation.”
The Irish Kidney Association, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is delighted to announce that Claire Byrne has taken up the voluntary role of ambassador for 2018 organ donor awareness. The prolific journalist and national radio and TV broadcaster will front the 2018 Organ Donor Awareness Week campaign (31st March until 7th April) encouraging the public to support organ donation for transplantation.
The popular broadcaster will feature in radio advertising and on posters as well as attending the national launch of 2018 Organ Donor Awareness Week by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, T.D. on Tuesday 27th March.
There are approximately 550 people in Ireland awaiting life-saving heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplants. Thanks to the gift of organ donation almost 3500 transplanted people in Ireland are enjoying extended life.
The focus of Organ Donor Awareness Week is to raise awareness about the ongoing and ever-increasing demand for organ transplantation which relies on the public for organ donation. Its key message is that families need to talk to each other and keep the reminders of their willingness to donate visible by carrying the organ donor card and permitting Code 115 to be included on their driver’s license. The organ donor card has developed from what started out as the kidney donor card in the same year our organisation was established in 1978.
Organ Donor Awareness Week also serves as a fundraising exercise for the Irish Kidney Association. Throughout the Week (31st March - 7th April 2018), the Association’s volunteers will be out on the streets, and in shopping centres throughout the country, distributing organ donor cards while selling 'forget-me-not-flower' emblems, brooches, pens and shopping trolley discs. All proceeds will go towards the Irish Kidney Association’s aid for patients on dialysis and those patients fortunate enough to have received a kidney transplant. The Irish Kidney Association’s charitable activities include the provision of a 13-double bedroom, free accommodation facility for patients and their families in the grounds of Beaumont Hospital and holiday centres located in Tramore and Kerry, together with patient advocacy, advice, counselling, financial aid and rehabilitative, health promotion through sport and the provision of kidney patient information and education through its head office in Dublin and its 25 branch network of volunteers throughout the country.
Free information fact files, which accompany organ donor cards, are obtainable from the Irish Kidney Association and are available nationwide from pharmacies, GP surgeries and Citizen Information Offices.
Organ Donor Cards can also be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association tel. 01 6205306 or Free text the word DONOR to 50050. Visit website www.ika.ie/card
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