Raising awarness of why organ donation is so vital

AMONG those hoping that the current Organ Donor Awareness Week will be a success are many of the 65 patients on kidney dialysis in Sligo University Hospital.

They, like local patients waiting for other organ transplants, are wishing that the campaign may increase their chances of getting the call they have been waiting for. Organ Donor Awareness Week started last Saturday and runs to this Saturday, April 30. It is organised by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) in conjunction with Organ Donation Transplant Ireland (ODTI).

The key message of the campaign is ‘share your wishes’. At the campaign launch, IKA Chief Executive Carol Moore expanded on this. “The traditional organ donor card and the digital organ donor card app are there to get the organ donation conversation started.

“The card, or app, is a symbol of your wish to donate but is not a legal document nor are personal details recorded.

“Downloading the digital donor card app, requesting a donor card or having code 115 on your driver’s licence, is a prompt to assist the approach to family members to discuss organ donation wishes.” Secretary of the Sligo IKA branch, Geraldine McHugh, said many Sligo kidney patients currently on dialysis three days a week are anxiously waiting for a transplant.

She said it’s the same for patients waiting to receive other organs. In support of the campaign, Sligo City Hall in Quay Street is lit up in green for the entire week.

Green is the internationally recognised colour which celebrates organ and tissue donation.

On Monday of this week the entire Nationwide programme on RTE was devoted to organ donation.

Many Sligo pharmacies are showing support by prominently displaying donor cards with some having a supporting poster in-store.

Sligo Garda station has also turned green at night time in the past week to support Organ Donor Awareness Week.

Sligo woman Marie Fowley of Hazelwood is pictured on a National IKA poster promoting the campaign. An IKA National Executive member, Marie received a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2011. She is one of 32 organ recipients nationwide pictured on the poster.