Kidney information meeting

The ladies doing the mini marathon on June 1 in Dublin, in aid of The Punchestown Kidney Research Fund, held an information evening last Wednesday at Kilcullen Parish Centre.

James Nolan, chairman PKRF, welcomed everyone and thanked the team for choosing this charity.



Darren Cawley (above), from Mayo, told of how he has coped with being on dialysis for 11 years. He spoke of the very restricted liquid intake he's allowed,and the limited vatiety of food. This affects his social life, his work and participation in sport, which he loves. Darren had driven from Westport to Castlebar Hospital for his dialysis. After a short rest, he drove four hours to Kilcullen, rested a while and came to speak to us. He was driving back home again after the meeting.

Padraig Moloney, from Kilcullen, had dialysis in Tallaght Hospital on Wednesday evening. On his way home he stopped off to join us. Padraig had a transplant, which enabled him to lead a normal life for 18 years until it failed and he is now back on the transplant listand has dialysis three times a week.

Mary, an entrant in the mini marathon, spoke of her 24-year-old daughter, a nurse, who had a transplant in February. She told of how it affected the family and her daughter's life. Mary said she had never even considered filling in an organ donor card until her daughter needed and got the gift of life.

All the speakers pleaded for organ donors. Like Mary, we never know when any of us or a loved one will depend on organ donation for the gift of life. Fill in that card and tell your family.

Caroline is collecting the race numbers in Tullamore and they will be distributed on Thursday 21 May at Kilcullen Parish Centre from 7-8pm. If you can't make it, contact us. We still need numbers not being used, please.

Phena Bermingham.