Statement by Irish Kidney Association on landmark heart/liver transplant
With Organ Donor Awareness Week just around the corner (Saturday 23rd– Saturday 30th April) the announcement from the Mater Hospital and St. Vincent University Hospital today about Polish native Martin Malinowski’s landmark first combined heart and liver transplant is very exciting. We applaud all those involved in this ground-breaking collaboration. We wish Martin continued good health as he enjoys a new lease of life.
It is well known that Ireland has a large Polish population. We are seeing this reflected in the people affected by organ donation and transplantation too. The Irish Kidney Association views organ donation as an act of active citizenship. To embrace our diverse population in recent years we have produced a Polish language version of our Organ Donor Awareness poster.
Organ Donor Awareness Week
This Organ Donor Awareness Week, the Irish Kidney Association is asking the public to take inspiration from stories. This is such as Martin’s successful combined heart and liver transplant. They also ask to discuss organ donation within their family and friends #ShareYourWishes
Organ donation is the gift of life and provides much needed solace to bereaved families during difficult times. You can find out more about Organ Donor Awareness Week here: www.ika.ie/donorweek2022 where you can also request your organ donor card.
Social media hashtags for Organ Donor Awareness Week are:
#ShareYourWishes, #DonorWeek22.
People can also tag the Irish Kidney Association when doing their own posts on various platforms:
- Twitter @IrishKidneyAs
- Instagram @IrishKidneyA
- Facebook @IrishKidneyAssociation
Individuals who wish to support organ donation are encouraged to keep the reminders of their decision available. This is by carrying the organ donor card, permitting Code 115 to be included on their driver’s licence or having the ‘digital organ donor card’ App on their smartphone. Organ Donor Cards can be requested by visiting the IKA website www.ika.ie/get-a-donor-card or to your phone, phoning the Irish Kidney Association on 01 6205306 or Free text the word DONOR to 50050
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