• Narrow screen resolution
  • Wide screen resolution
  • Auto width resolution
  • Increase font size
  • Decrease font size
  • Default font size
  • default color
  • red color
  • green color

Transplant Team Ireland

Countdown to World Transplant Games - Sweden 2011   2011-6-17 17:00:00 GMT+00:00

Home arrow Athletes arrow Paul Donohoe arrow Paul Looks Forward to Taking Part in World Transplant Games
Paul Looks Forward to Taking Part in World Transplant Games PDF Print E-mail
Written by Colin White   
Saturday, 25 July 2009
ImageWell-known local man Paul Donohoe –  who lives in Doogary, Co. Cavan, but previously resided at Drumreilly, Co. Leitrim – is off to Australia next month (AUGUST) as a member of the Irish team at the World Transplant Games.

And, in their own eyes, all 19 team members are winners already by just getting to the starting-line. Paul, who is the Honorary Secretary of the Irish Kidney Association, is looking forward to competing in the life-affirming games, where, between them, the Irish team members have 13 new kidneys, five new livers and one new kidney-pancreas.

The squad will travel to Gold Coast, Australia, on Tuesday, August 18th. Father-of-three Paul was diagnosed with renal failure at 15 months when it was thought that he had no chance of survival.

Now, thanks to the gift of life, he is looking forward to wearing the green, white and gold of Ireland at the 17th World Transplant Games, which will attract over 2,000 athletes from 50 countries.

“Thanks to the my mother’s persistence I was transferred to the Meath hospital in Dublin,” explained Paul.
“I am now very happy to have three healthy children. I have good health and try to live life to the full.

“I was on dialysis for seven months and had my transplant in 1994. I got married to Adrienne, bought a house, did it up, went on dialysis, and had a transplant inside a seven-month period that year!

“People respond well to organ donation in Ireland, we are quite a generous nation and the act of donating an organ is quite an altruistic, caring thing to do after your death. Over 80 per cent of Irish people think organ donation is a good idea.”

ImagePaul’s wife Adrienne and his three children, Luke, Grace and Adam will cheer him on from home. Paul will compete in race-walking, ten pin bowling, and lawn bowls.

This is Paul’s third time to represent Ireland, and last year won a bronze medal in race-walking at the European Transplant & Dialysis Games in Wurzburg, Germany. Paul is the current chairman of the Leitrim branch of the Irish Kidney Association.

“I am one of a group of trainers at U10 level with Carrigallen GAA Club, where my children go to school, I am not a typical athlete. Events like lawn bowls and ten-pin bowling are games of skill, patience, and a steady nerve.

“The beauty of the World Transplant Games is that is gives athletes of all levels a chance to take part.

“It’s not really about winning, it’s all about taking part. We honour our donors by showing that organ transplantation works. That’s a vital message to promote as the need for a life-saving organ transplant can visit a family with devastating speed, and at any age, even babies and children,” said team captain Mick Dwyer, who ten years ago had a kidney transplant.

Team manager Colin White paid tribute to the determination of the athletes taking part. “They have worked very hard to prepare for the Games, and they will help to show the world that you can enjoy a great life after receiving a transplant,” he said.

The full Irish team is:
Paul Donohoe (Cavan); Michael Dwyer (captain, Dublin); Deirdre Faul (vice-captain, Dublin); Tony Gartland (Wicklow); James Hannon (Longford);  John Loftus (Limerick); Philip Martin (Dublin); Tom Metcalfe (Dublin); Linda Meyler (Galway); Catherine Murphy (Cork); James Nolan (Kildare); John Paul O’Neill (Kilkenny); Paul Prendergast (Dublin); Orla Hogan-Ryan (Tipperary); Charlie Ryan (Cork); Leonard Ryan (Dublin); Angela Sherlock (Dublin); Harry Ward (Dublin); and Vienna White (Donegal.)
The team will be accompanied by manager Colin White; team doctor Emer Kilbride; physio Clare Hogan; and Mark Murphy, the CEO of the Irish Kidney Association, who is also a member of the World Transplant Games governing body. The team kit is sponsored by Shire Pharmaceuticals.

A special website has been built – www.transplantteamireland.com – where supporters can follow the team’s progress and send on messages of support. The site profiles each athlete and will carry daily updates on how the athletes are getting on.

For an organ donor card FREETEXT the word ‘DONOR’ to 50050.
 
[ Back ]

Be a donor

donor card

Give the gift of life. For organ donor cards free text the word ‘DONOR’ to 50050 or log on to www.ika.ie for more information.

 

Newspaper articles

Other Websites









 IKA Facebook page

 Transplant Team Ireland Facebook Page