#LeaveNoDoubt: Organ Donor Awareness Week launched
ORGAN Donor Awareness Week has been officially launched, with this year’s campaign marking 60 years of Organ Donation and Transplantation in Ireland.
Running from May 20 to 27, Organ Donor Awareness Week was launched in the Mansion House on Tuesday – during which some significant milestones in transplantation were noted.
According to organisers, the Irish Kidney Association (IKA), these milestones were made possible by the gift of organ donation.
According to Carol Moore, the Chief Executive of the IKA, there was an increase in transplant activity last year, with 250 organ transplants taking place – 44 more transplants than in 2022.
The key message of this year’s awareness week is that members of the public can play their part in supporting organ donation by ensuring their families are not left in any doubt about their wishes.
Speaking at the launch, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly TD, said: “This year’s theme for Organ Donor Awareness Week of Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt, #LeaveNoDoubt, highlights the importance of talking to your loved ones about organ donation.
“This is the best way to ensure that your wishes to become an organ donor are realised.
“I encourage everyone to have these conversations now.
“While I know talking about such issues can be uncomfortable, it will make it easier for your family to make this decision at what will inevitably be a difficult and tragic time.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly launching Organ Donor Awareness Week with Eimear Sheilds, National Organ Donor coordinator (left) and the family of deceased organ donor Aaron Cantwell – Naomi Dunleavey, David Cantwell and Adam Cantwell
According to Carol Moore of the IKA, organ donation is a great example of active citizenship.
Ms Moore said: “Patients on transplant waiting lists live in hope that organs will become available to them and a strong public show of support by requesting organ donor cards builds that hope.
“The uncertainty associated with waiting for an organ transplant is difficult as the future is unknown and there is the knowledge that in order to be given the Gift of Life another family will be grieving the loss of a loved one”.
She stressed how the end of year figures for transplantation in 2022 “offer encouragement and hope” to people on transplant waiting lists due to an increase in transplant activity.
She added: “The record 81 transplants in the first three months of this year offers further encouragement that we can return to or surpass the 5-year average (2015-2019) of transplant activity experienced pre-pandemic.
“It’s heartening also that as one of the milestones we mark this year is the 10th anniversary of the introduction of Code 115 on driver’s licences, that without any promotional activity, more than 1.45 million drivers, almost half of all licence holders, have indicated their willingness to be organ donors.
“We look forward to the Human Tissue Bill being transposed into law.
“It will allow for altruistic living kidney donation in Ireland, where the donor does not know the recipient.
“Currently such donors have to travel outside our jurisdiction to Northern Ireland or overseas in order to donate altruistically.”
According to figures provided by the IKA, there are at any one time between 550 and 600 people active on waiting lists for organ transplants – including heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas.
‘A moment to reflect…’
Dr Catherine Motherway, HSE Clinical Lead, Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland, was present at this week’s launch and she took a moment to thank all donors and families.
“At this time, we take a moment to reflect on how this would not be possible without the selfless generosity of our organ donors and their families”, she said.
“We remember our deceased donor families who, in the midst of grief and in the face of the sudden loss of a loved one find it in their hearts to think of others in need.
“Our living donors give of themselves freely to help a loved one.”
An Post and the Irish Pharmacy Union are both supporting this year’s awareness week, with their outlets nationwide carrying stocks of donor cards and displaying campaign posters.
Members of the public are being asked to mark Organ Donor Awareness Week by discussing organ donation with their loved ones and letting them know their wishes.
Organ donor Cards can be requested via the IKA’s website HERE.
The IKA also provides their digital Organ Donor Card free to download from the App Store and Google Playstore.
