Five-year-old kidney transplant patient Liam, his twin brother Daniel, sister Caoilin and parents Dennis and Patrick from Dublin attend the launch of Organ Donor Awareness Week (Image: Andres Poveda)
Organ Donor Awareness Week has officially begun and this year’s campaign marks 60 years of organ donation and transplantation in Ireland.
Organ Donor Awareness Week, which ran from May 20 to 27, kicked off on Tuesday at Mansion House, during which several important milestones in transplantation were highlighted.
Organizers Irish Kidney Association (IKA) said these milestones were made possible by organ donations.
IKA chief executive Carol Moore said transplant activity increased last year with 250 organ transplants, 44 more than in 2022.
A key message from this year’s Awareness Week is that the public can play a role in supporting organ donation by ensuring that families’ wishes are left in no doubt.
Speaking at the launch, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly TD said: Don’t leave your loved ones in doubt, #LeaveNoDoubtemphasizes the importance of talking to loved ones about organ donation.
“This is the best way to ensure your wish to become an organ donor comes true.
“I encourage everyone to start having these conversations now.
“While we understand that it may be uncomfortable to talk about these issues, it will help families make this decision during what will inevitably be a difficult and tragic time.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly launches Organ Donor Awareness Week with National Organ Donor Coordinator Eimear Shields (left) and the family of deceased organ donor Aaron Cantwell – Naomi Dunleavy, David Cantwell Well, Adam Cantwell
According to IKA’s Carol Moore, organ donation is a great example of active citizenship.
“Patients on transplant waiting lists live in hope that organs will become available, and by requesting an organ donor card and demonstrating strong public support, they can help,” Moore said. It gives you that hope.”
“The uncertainty associated with waiting for an organ transplant can be difficult, as the future is unknown and the knowledge that giving the gift of life will mean another family will grieve the loss of a loved one. is.”
She highlighted how the year-end statistics for transplants in 2022 are “encouraging and giving hope” to those on transplant waiting lists due to increased transplant activity.
It added: “A record number of 81 transplants in the first three months of this year could mean a return to or even exceed the five-year (2015-2019) pre-pandemic average for transplant activity. It’s encouraging,” he added.
“We are also encouraged that one of the milestones we mark this year is our 10th anniversary.th On the one-year anniversary of the introduction of code 115 on driver’s licenses, more than 1.45 million drivers, almost half of all license holders, have indicated their intention to donate their organs, without any promotional efforts. It became clear.
“We look forward to the passage of the Human Tissue Bill into law.
“This will enable altruistic living kidney donation in Ireland where the donor does not know the recipient.
“Currently, such donors must travel to Northern Ireland or overseas, outside of our jurisdiction, to make altruistic donations.”
Figures provided by IKA say there are between 550 and 600 people on the waiting list for organ transplants at any given time, including hearts, lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas.
“A moment of reflection…”
Dr Catherine Motherway, HSE Clinical Director for Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland, attended this week’s presentation and thanked all donors and families.
“I take a moment to reflect on how none of this would have been possible without the selfless generosity of organ donors and their families,” she said.
“We remember the families of deceased donors who, in the midst of their grief, face the sudden loss of a loved one and whose thoughts are with others in need.
“Our living donors give of themselves generously to help their loved ones.”
An Post and the Irish Pharmacy Association are both supporting this year’s awareness week, stocking donor cards and displaying campaign posters in stores across the country.
The public is asked to mark Organ Donor Awareness Week by talking about organ donation with their loved ones and sharing their wishes.
Organ donor cards can be requested from the IKA website here.
IKA also offers a digital organ donor card that can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Playstore.
