The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘Miracles can happen’ – ask Joan
DOUBLE LUNG RECIPIENT ORGANISES WALK FOR LIFE SAVING HOSPITAL UNIT
A TRALEE woman, who just over a year ago received a lifesaving double lung-transplant, has expressed her gratitude towards the local community after an estimated 300 people joined her in Tralee Town Park on Friday evening to help to raise funds for the Transplant Unit in the Mater Hospital in Dublin.
Joan Lynch from Manor Court in Tralee, received the vital transplant in September of last year and one year on from this she, along with her incredibly supportive family of husband George, and children Philip and Georgina, have managed to raise over €7,000 for the Transplant Unit, something they call an “amazing cause”.
“I was delighted with the turnout! My uncle-in-law came all the way down from Dublin, I had cousins and neighbours and family there, I couldn’t have asked for more, I was just on a high the whole day,” she told The Kerryman on Monday.
“All the money will be going straight towards the unit in the Mater Hospital, towards whatever they feel is needed in any department; that money is there to help, they saved my life.”
“I had my transplant in September of 2015 and, luckily for me, the call came quicker rather than later because, honestly, later wouldn’t have been an option for me as I was going downhill fairly rapidly,” she continued.
“I was 24/7 on oxygen, I was hospitalised quite a lot at stages, I was collapsing and they had to do CPR on me and the ambulance was called; that was the last straw for me and I was transferred to the Mater in Dublin for five weeks, I was at home a week when I got the call for the operation”
“Miracles can happen, that call was something I didn’t expect to get for months or years and to get it so soon so, it was definitely miraculous and a life-saving call; I’m convinced that my mother and brother, who passed away recently, were looking down on me and helping me through it,”
“I hope that this can show others what donating can do, it has changed our family’s life. They’re delighted to see up and about and walking, I can’t express how much it has all meant to me,” she finished.
“It’s just a great privilege to have Joan here at the walk tonight and just to be able to walk down the park with her after the year she had and that she was so ill, it’s amazing. The support has been truly overwhelming,” said Joan’s husband, George, speaking to the crowd before the start of the walk on Friday.
“We’d just like to thank everyone who came out to show support; we’re a year down the road today from when Joan was in hospital and the kindness and prayers from our friends, family and from people we don’t even know, it has been immense,” he finished.