Organ Donor Awareness Week 2010
Organ Donor Awareness Week which is organised annually by the Irish Kidney Association and supported by the Irish Donor Network took place this year from March 27th - April 3rd.
This year's launch took place on Tuesday, 23rd March at the Mansion House and was attended by popular radio and tv presenter, Ryan Tubridy who for the fourth year in a row gave his commitment and lent support to the campaign.
Pictured with Ryan at the launch is dialysis patient, Sonia Treacy from Newbridge, Col Kildare.
Also at the launch were: Dr Sami, Emer Melvin CMN2, From Sligo Michael Collum who is celebrating 20 years since receiving his heart and double lung transplant and Vera Dwyer from Ballinfad, Sligo who received a single lung transplant 22 years ago and had a kidney transplant in November 2009, Dr. Austin Stack, Consultant Nephrologist Sligo General Hospital,Michael McHugh Kidney recipient from Sligo Branch IKA, Julie Fox Staff Nurse, Patricia Higgins CNS and Dr Bashra Karim.
Vera Dwyer is understood to be the longest surviving single lung transplant recipient in the world.
Durinig Organ Donor Awareness Week, much media coverage was given to the various issues surrounding organ donation and many radio and TV programmes carried relevant interviews. Ryan Tubridy's radio programme on Radio 1 featured interviews on Monday 29th March as did the Gerry Ryan Show on Thursday, 30th March. The RTE Afternoon Show on Tuesday 30th featured an interview with donor mother and kidney transplant recipient Marian Beggs who was featured on the Gerry Ryan show earlier that day. TV3's Ireland AM featured an interview on Monday 29th March with Mark Murphy and a 26 year old Swedish liver transplant girl. The TV3 Morning Show featured a lengthy interview with spouse to spouse kidney transplant couple Kathryn and Eugene Evers on Wednesday 31st March and the Today FM Ian Dempsey radio show featured an interview with kidney transplant mum Carmel Donlon on the same day.
The print media also gave good coverage during the campaign with all the national and local newspapers carrying interviews and features.
Organ Donor Cards can also be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association LoCall 1890 543639 or
Freetext the word DONOR to 50050.
