Organ donor week launched in mullingar

Today, Thursday, the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) launched Organ Donor Week in the Greville Arms Hotel.

Organ Donor Week takes place from Saturday March 28 to Saturday April 4 and aims to raise awareness around the importance of carrying a donor card.

There are over 700 people in Ireland awaiting life-saving heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplants. Thanks to the gift of organ donation over 3000 people in Ireland are enjoying extended life.

There was a sharp decline in the number of deceased donors in 2014 from its previous year, 63 as compared with 86 in 2013.

In total 251 people received organ transplants in 2014 as compared with 294 in 2013.

Organ Donor Awareness Week also serves as a fundraising exercise for the Irish Kidney Association.

hroughout the week the Association’s volunteers will be out on the streets, and in shopping centres throughout the country, 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 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, financial aid and rehabilitative, health promotion and the provision of kidney patient information and education.

This year the IKA are introducing another fundraising technique. You can text “kidney” to 50300 and €2.00 will be donated from your mobile phone account to the IKA.