Organ Donor Awareness Week
The Annual Organ Donor Awareness Week organised by the Irish Kidney Association took place this year from 1st - 8th April, and once again highlighted the ongoing and ever increasing demand for organ transplantation which relies on the public for organ donation.
There is much media coverage of organ donation and transplantation during the week including many TV and radio programmes featuring stories relating to organ donors and recipients.
RTE Six One News, April 3rd - http://www.rte.ie/news/player/six-one-news/
Dúiche on TG4, March 30th - http://www.tg4.ie/en/player/home/?pid=5379055623001
Living Kidney donor and RTÉ broadcaster Vivienne Traynor took up the voluntary role of ambassador for Organ Donor Awareness Week in 2016 and this year continues the role as campaign ambassador. Like the previous ambassador Mary Kennedy, Vivienne has also a deep personal connection to organ donation. Vivienne’s nephew Martin Traynor underwent two kidney transplants, his first for which she was the living kidney donor and five years later his second transplant was from a deceased donor.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Mark Murphy, CEO of the Irish Kidney Association, proposed the launch of an Organ Donor Registry in line with the new HSE Consent Policy, and also acknowledged the importance of the UK's role in paediatric and specialist adult transplantation.
"There are approximately 650 people in Ireland", he said, "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. In addition to the 280 transplants which took place in Ireland last year, a further 11 paediatric organ transplants and 7 living donor transplants took place in the UK, organised by the HSE for Irish patients".
To read Mark Murphy's full speech at the launch of Organ Donor Awareness Week:
http://www.ika.ie/pdf/organdonorweek_march_2017_pr2.pdf
Some of the organ donation community in attendance at the launch
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 and keep the reminders of their willingness to donate visible by carrying the organ donor card, downloading the Smartphone App and permitting Code 115 to be included on their driver’s license.
The Irish Kidney Association is the national organisation charged with the promotion and distribution of the organ donor card in Ireland, on behalf of Organ Donation Transplant Ireland.
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 etc.
Organ Donor Cards can also be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association LoCall 1890 543639 or Freetext the word DONOR to 50050. Visit website www.ika.ie It is now possible to store an organ donor card, the ‘ecard’ on Smart mobile phones. Simply search for ‘Donor ECard’ at the IPhone Store or Android Market Place.
