Howlin backs Palestinian protesters deaths probe
Brave 27-year-old donates kidney
Brendan Howlin BRENDAN Howlin has supported the call of the UN Secretary General for a probe into the death of 18 Palestinian protesters.
The Labour leader also criticised the response of the Tanaiste and Foreign Minister Simon Coveney to the tragedy last Friday.
Deputy Howlin said: “I support the call of the UN Secretary General for an independent probe.
“It is important to get to the bottom of claim and counter claim.
“There is one bottom line though. There are people dead and hundreds injured on one side of a protest and little or no impact on the other side.”
There has been worldwide condemnation of the deaths where it appears protesters were gunned down by Israeli snipers even though they were running away at the time.
Mr Howlin added: “There appears to be no basis on which the response of the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] can be considered proportionate.
“This cannot be in anybody’s interest, including that of Israel.
“The Tanaiste’s remarks are passive and naive.
“He talks of an European Union response as if he didn’t sit around the table as member of the EU Council.
“What has he done since Friday to gauge a possible EU response?”
GALWAY YESTERDAY
Firefighter Ger Dolan with his brother Jimmy A DEDICATED fireman has shown he is a true life-saver – by donating a kidney to his ill brother.
Brave Ger Dolan volunteered to go under the knife to help his older sibling Jimmy.
In October 2013, the 32-year-old faced his first brush with death when a virus attacked his organs which left his kidneys irreversibly damaged.
Ger, from Galway, contacted Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital in October 2016 to begin the process to see if he could be a suitable donor.
And on St Stephen’s Day that year the 27-year-old announced his decision to donate his kidney to
Jimmy to his family when they gathered for breakfast.
By January
2017 the men were undergoing rigorous physical and psychological tests and within weeks they received the happy news that Ger was a perfect match. In mid-march 2017, they had the living donor transplant operation.
The brothers are sharing their story in support of the Irish Kidney Association’s Organ Donor Awareness Week which runs until Saturday.
Jimmy said: “I owe huge thanks to Ger who on his own merit decided he wanted to Galway firemen support Donor Week donate a kidney to me. He has given me my life back. My family and friends have been amazing in their support for me in my health journey.
“The medical excellence and care of the teams that looked after me in Galway University Hospital and at the dialysis centres in Merlin Park as well as in CUH Cork was outstanding.
“And indeed, I want to give praise to the experienced transplant team at Beaumont Hospital including our two transplant surgeons Dr Ponnusamy Moran and Dr Richie Power.
“Myself and the rest of my family are also very grateful to the Irish Kidney Association for its support as a number of us availed of their free accommodation in their Renal Support Centre located on the doorstep of Beaumont.”
The Dolan family has been saving lives for four generations and the brothers’ father Frankie – who was born in a fire station – is Station Officer with Galway Fire Service where he continues to work after 41 years’ service.
Health Minister Simon Harris and broadcaster Claire Byrne will launch the Kidney Association’s campaign today at Dublin’s Mansion House.
This year the association celebrates its 40th anniversary and the kidney donor card which has evolved into the organ donor card.
Around 550 people here are awaiting life-saving transplants and thanks to the gift of organ donation almost 3,500 people in Ireland are enjoying extended life.
I owe huge thanks to Ger, he has given me my life back. The support has been amazing JIMMY DOLAN