Organ Donor Awareness Week - #LeaveNoDoubt
Organ Donor Awareness Week 2024 took place last week from Saturday, 20th April, to Saturday, 27th April. The Irish Kidney Association organised it in association with the Health Service Executive's Organ Donation Transplant Ireland.
The official launch of Organ Donor Awareness Week 2024 by the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly T.D. was held at the Mansion House, Dublin 2, on Tuesday, 16th April. The key campaign message continues to be built around sharing your wishes with your loved ones about organ donation with the theme: Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt #LeaveNoDoubt
Dr Brian Vaughan, Senior Lecturer in Creative Digital Media at TU Dublin, attended the launch and spoke about his experience of organ donation.
"We are all part of a vast community, interdependent on one another. Organ donation and organ failure can impact any one of us, underscoring our shared vulnerability and the importance of solidarity for this life-saving cause. So now, let us all rally together to support those on transplant waiting lists, honour the selflessness of organ donors, and raise awareness about the vital importance of organ donation and transplantation. Together, let's sow the seeds of hope for a future where every patient in need of a transplant has the opportunity for a brighter tomorrow, and living organ donors and families of deceased organ donor families can take solace in knowing their selflessness has left a profound life-saving legacy.
At any one time in Ireland, there are between 550 and 600 people active on waiting lists for organ transplants, including heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas. They are all waiting on the 'Gift of Life'. Encourage friends and family to share their wishes, too!"