Press Release
18 Oct 2011
Press release October 18th
PRESS RELEASE 18th October, 2011
TV and Radio presenters in Run for a Life
Playing their part in highlighting organ donation, a host of TV and radio personalities, along with children who have received liver and kidney transplants, came together for a photocall today (Tuesday, 18th October at 10am) at the Phoenix Park (near Tea Rooms opposite Dublin Zoo) to announce their involvement in the Irish Kidney Association’s ‘Run for a Life’.
Demonstrating solidarity in support of the ‘Run for a Life’, the enthusiastic broadcasting personalities will also be doing the Fun Run which will take place in Park West, Dublin 12 this Sunday, 23rd October at 12 noon.
‘Run for a Life’ is a celebration of life through sport and is open to all members of the public including walkers, joggers, runners and their families. The fundraising event is sponsored by Astellas Pharmaceutical and coincides with European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation.
Attending the photocall, was 2 year old liver transplant recipient Laura McDowell from Dalkey, Dublin. Laura received a living related liver transplant when she was just 19 months old from her Aunt, Deirdre O’Gorman, and the operation took place at King’s Hospital London.
Celebrating the fifth anniversary of her liver transplant which also took place at King’s Hospital London is 5 years old Elizabeth Murphy from Ballyboughal, North County Dublin. Elizabeth was just over four months old when she received her liver transplant after being diagnosed with liver disease when she was seven weeks old. Accompanying Elizabeth to the photocall will be her mother Suzie and younger brothers Thomas (3) and Charlie (10 months)..
Micheala Delany(age 11) from Clondalkin was the first child to receive akidney transplant at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children nine years ago. Micheala’s father Dermot will be taking part in ‘Run for a Life’.
Laura , Micheala and Elizabeth’s happy outcomes, as a result of their life saving transplants, will help to highlight the fact that there are 650+ people in Ireland who are awaiting organ transplants.
At the photocall and donning their running shoes twice in the same week for Run for a Life are sports anchors for TV3 and RTÉ Sinead Kissane and Jacqui Hurley as well as RTÉ Sports presenter Justin Treacy who is doing the Fun Run for his wife Vivienne Traynor. Keen to support the event, Vivienne, the RTÉ courts reporter, has just given birth (last Friday) to their baby boy only two years after donating one of her kidneys to her nephew, Martin.
Also encouraged by Vivienne to take part in the Fun Run and photocall were her fellow courts reporters TV3’s Dyane Connor and UTV Radio Network/FM104’s Sarah O’Connor. 98FM’s Head of News Teena Gates who was also eager to demonstrate her support attended the photocall and she will celebrate her birthday by taking part in Sunday’s Fun Run which falls on the same day !
‘Run for a Life’ is open to all members of the general public. Those participating in the Fun Run will have the option of walking, jogging or running competitively in either a 3.4km, 6.7km or 10km event in Park West, Dublin 12, commencing 12 noon. There will also be an option, for the first time this year, to enter a team of three in a 3 x 3.3km Team Relay Race.
Speaking about the event, Colin White, Race Organiser said, “the ‘Run for a Life’ is about celebrating organ donation, showcasing the success of transplantation and encouraging the public to play its part by carrying an organ donor card. The choice of events on offer makes it possible for all people, young and old, with varying levels of fitness to take part.”
A large number of the members of the successful Irish team, including its junior members, who participated in the World Transplant Games in Gothenburg, Sweden earlier this year, will take part in the Fun Run to play their part in raising organ donor awareness. Some members of the Northern Ireland Transplant sports team who also took part in the recent World Games will be travelling to Dublin to participate.
Professor Jim Egan, Consultant Respiratory and Transplant Physician at the Mater Miscericordiae University Hospital and recently appointed Director of the National Organ Donation and Transplantation Office said,“the Run For a Life is an innovative way of getting people thinking about organ donation and the participation of transplant recipients in the event is a positive way of showcasing the success of organ transplantation.”
The main sponsor of ‘Run for a Life’ is pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma Co. Its Sales & Marketing Director, Stephen Joyce, said,“Astellas Pharma is delighted to be partnering the Irish Kidney Association in the 2011 Run for a Life. Astellas is committed to Changing Tomorrow for patients in Ireland and raising awareness for organ donation has the potential to really change outcomes for people on transplant waiting lists. We look forward to taking part in what should be a fun day for all !”
All proceeds raised from this charity event will go to the Irish Kidney Association, the patients’ organisation charged with the promotion and distribution of the organ donor card in Ireland.
Registration (to include t-shirt and participant medal (as well as soup and a sandwich afterwards) will be €15 for adults and €10 per child and a Family of 2 adults and up to 4 children can register for €35. Teams (3 participants) entering for the relay can register for €40. For registration and further details log on to: www.runforalife.ie
Run for a Life coinciding with European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation which will be celebrated in Geneva the previous Day.
The website address for European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation is
http://www.edqm.eu/en/European-Day-for-Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-1223.html
For organ donor cards Freetext DONOR to 50050 or LoCall 1890 543639
Smart phone users can download a donor e-card app from the App store or Android market place by searching for ‘ecard’.
-ENDS-
For further information contact:
Gwen O’Donoghue, Connect Communications Tel. mob. 086 8241447 connectc@iol.ie
Colin White, Irish Kidney Association Tel. 01 6205306 mob.087 6843644 colin@ika.ie
Suzie Murphy (Elizabeth’s mum) mob. 086 8108018
Liz Delany (Michaela’s mum) mob.087 7429133
Aoife O’Gorman (Laura McDowell’s mum) mob. 086 8921353
_______________________________________________________________________
NOTE:Although there was a major decline in organ donations in Ireland in 2010, by mid July of this year there were as many deceased organ donors as there were for the whole of 2010 which will result in a greater number of transplants in 2011. Kidney transplantation, in particular, is heading for a record year with the help of the growing living kidney transplant programme. Last year 23 living kidney transplants were conducted at Beaumont Hospital putting Ireland in 15th place out of 32 countries who conduct living donor kidney transplantation. Ireland returned a top ten place in Europe for pancreas transplantation last year with 8 pancreas transplants taking place at Beaumont Hospital.
In 2006, Ireland was in 6th place for deceased organ donation and was in 10th place in 2009 but we fell to 22nd place last year because of a drop in deceased donations of over one third in one year from 90 to 58. This resulted in kidney transplantation from deceased donors falling below 100 for the first time in 22 years. The 98 deceased donor kidney transplants which took place in Ireland last year placed us in 24th position in Europe, down from 9th place for the year before.
In Ireland last year, 38 liver transplants took place at St. Vincent’s University Hospital placing it in 18th position in 2010 down from 11th in 2009. 3 heart transplant operations and 4 lung transplants took place at the Mater Hospital Dublin last year placing Ireland in 27th place for heart transplantation down from 18th place on the previous year. Lung transplantation in Ireland placed Ireland in 18th position which was down from 16th place in 2009.
Press Release Archive
18 Oct 2011 - Press release October 18th
26 Sep 2011 - Launch of the Irish Kidney Association Run For a Life 2011
29 Jul 2010 - Run for A Life organisers urge public to carry organ donor card
