A Galway man will be pedaling from east to west next week on an unusual charity cycle. He drives a dialysis machine that symbolizes his wife's journey from kidney disease patient to organ transplant recipient.
Peter Conboy, from Ballygar, will set off from Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin at 10.30am next Wednesday, covering a five-day, 240-kilometre journey where his Donegal-born wife Liz has been in hospital for more than two years. Departing across the country for a remarkable philanthropic cycle of life. Decades ago.
His five-day journey ends on Sunday week at the Circle of Life Memorial Garden for Organ Donors in Salthill.
This extraordinary initiative aims to raise awareness and funds for the Irish Kidney Association (through Peter’s iDonate Cycle of Life) and spark conversation about the importance of organ donation.
Peter's route runs from east to west along the banks of the Royal Canal, Grand Canal and Midlands Greenway, from Athlone along major and secondary roads to his final destination at Salthill, Co. Galway. I will be heading to the Circle of Life Memorial Garden for the event. Around noon.
Along the way, he will stop in Maynooth, Mullingar, Athlone, Ballinasloe and Loughrea to rally support for the cause ahead of the final leg of his journey from Loughrea to Galway on Sunday week, August 4.
The inspiring destination at the Circle of Life Garden highlights the importance of his mission, especially considering his personal connection to the cause.
Peter's commitment to this cause stems from his wife Liz (Elizabeth) Ferry's past experience with chronic kidney disease, from Falcarragh, County Donegal.
Diagnosed at age 13, she became a patient at Temple Street Children's Hospital, enduring peritoneal dialysis at home for 11 hours at a time, six nights a week, until a donor kidney became available less than a year later. I did.
She underwent a life-changing kidney transplant at Beaumont Hospital in May 2002.
Peter arrives at Salthill's iconic Garden of Life to meet Liz's donor, who made the incredible decision to donate his loved one's organs 22 years ago, giving Liz a successful long-lasting kidney transplant. This is to pay homage to his family.
“This is the first chapter of a new life for Liz, where she gets a college degree, travels the world, marries me and enjoys life to the fullest,” Peter said. Masu.
“This would not have been possible without the selfless decision of her donor family, for which we are forever grateful.”
Despite being an inexperienced long-distance cyclist and juggling a full-time job with Irish water and sheep farming, Peter is determined to complete the 240km, five-day journey .
Speed is not the goal. The key is to get noticed and raise awareness through his journey, meeting people along the way and in some of the towns along the way.
He will begin cycling westbound in Athlone on August 3, leaving Golden Island Shopping Center at 7.30am and arriving at the square in Ballinasloe before noon.
He will leave Ballinasloe at around 2.30pm and head to Lourea, where he will stay overnight before the final leg.
So he will leave Loughrea at 7am and aims to arrive at Salthill's Circle of Life Memorial Gardens around noon.
Its final leg coincides with the final day of the week-long Galway Horse Races, drawing powerful comparisons between the speed of a racehorse and Peter's slow journey driven by sheer determination and a meaningful cause. It is drawn.
At the end of the journey, in Salthill, a lively welcome party was held, attended by family, friends, supporters, volunteers from the IKA Galway branch, and Martina Goggin, who created the Circle of Life Memorial Garden with her husband Dennis. It is planned that
Eoin Ryan will also be cycling with Peter on the final leg from Oranmore. His wife, Michelle Geraghty, also lives in Salthill and is a kidney transplant recipient.
His proud wife Liz also reflected on his kidney journey.
“As a young teenager living with chronic kidney disease and facing an uncertain future, it was incredibly difficult. My confidence was shaken and I often wondered what my future held.” she reveals.
“The gift of a donor kidney gave me a future that most people take for granted. It allowed me to meet the love of my life and share a wonderful life with Peter. .”
Peter will be greeted by volunteers from IKA branches in towns along the route, but many more will come to meet him in towns along the way and wave if they see him. I'm also looking forward to it.
“Above all, I would like to remind people to support the work of the Irish Kidney Association and to share their wishes about organ donation,” he says.
“We encourage everyone to carry a donor card, write consent on their driver's license with code 115, or set up an organ donation app on their phone.”
Anyone wishing to donate to Peter’s fundraising efforts can donate online at https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/cycleoflife. When Peter visits a town, he will have the option to tap a QR code to make a donation payment.
Photo: Peter Conboy with his dialysis machine for a training spin ahead of next week's challenge.
