Organ Donor Awareness Week ambassador Mary Kennedy with Chloe Kinahan, a native of Mullingar, and her 11-month-old son Sam.

Launch of organ donor awareness week 2015

Chloe Kinahan, a native of Mullingar, now living in Dublin, and her 11-month-old son Sam, who has been on dialysis since he was four and a half months old, were among those helping to launch Organ Donor Awareness Week 2015, this week.

Sam was diagnosed with an obstruction to his urinary system which damaged his kidneys prior to birth when his mother was just 16 weeks pregnant and prognosis for his survival to go to full term or survive after birth was poor.

Chloe is originally from Westmeath and Ivan is from Naas and they are now living in Baldoyle, Dublin. The life saving awareness campaign is organised by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) and will commence on Saturday March 28 and continue until April 4.

During the Week IKA volunteers will be distributing organ donor cards and selling ‘forget-me-not flower’ emblems in towns and villages throughout the country.

Photo: Conor McCabe Photography