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THIS IS ORGAN donation week, and Mark Murphy, CEO of the Irish Kidney Association, told TheJournal.ie that they are happy with how the week is progressing.
The aim of the week is to raise awareness of the need for organ donors in Ireland, and to reverse the drop in donations in recent years. The Irish Kidney Association is also hoping to raise much-needed funds with their ‘forget me not flower’ emblems.
Murphy said that a lot of people will use this weekend as the main focus for donating money to the cause, and that so far they are very pleased with the public’s reaction, and they hope the response from the public hope will be good over the next few days.
Heart transplant
One person whose life was completely changed due to organ donation is Karen McDermott (38), a mother of two from Clonakilty. She received a heart transplant in August 2012.
Describing her transplant experience, McDermott said:
My heart was barely pumping blood before the transplant operation, I had no energy and was a wheelchair user. Now I am almost fully recovered and am enjoying every minute of my new life.
On Easter Monday, she took part in the Clonakilty Road Run for COPE, and said that “every step I took brought a big bright smile to my face”.
My transplant has made it possible for me to enjoy doing the most simple things in life that most people take for granted like taking a shower on my own, climbing the stairs and spending time with my children. I will never be able to thank my donor enough for giving me a second chance at life and to be able to watch my children grow up. My donor will always be in my thoughts.
McDermott, who has two children, Shane (14) and Nicola (10), had always been an active person who enjoyed playing badminton and worked in credit control in her local credit union.
Without any previous indications of an underlying defective heart condition, she started to become very ill in January 2012. She was hospitalised in Cork University Hospital for seven weeks – what was initially thought to be reflux was diagnosed as a combination of Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Mitral Valve Disease.
Her care was then passed on to the Mater Hospital in Dublin, and as her heart was only working at 17 per cent capacity, she was put on the heart transplant waiting list in June 2012.
She got called for a transplant on 13 August 2012 but unfortunately the transplant did not go ahead as the donor heart was not suitable. Thankfully, she was called again for her life saving transplant in late August 2012.
The annual organ donor awareness campaign, which runs until 6 April, is organised by the Irish Kidney Association and supported by the Irish Donor Network.
There are currently over 600 people in Ireland waiting for life-saving organ transplants. Last year saw 78 deceased organ donors in Ireland, down from the record set the previous year at 93, but only two donors off the 5-year average of 80 per year.
Ógra Fianna Fáil published its policy on organ donation this week. Its proposals include the establishment of a national organ donor registry and increased education on organ donation in schools.
Organ Donor Cards can also be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association LoCall 1890 543639 or Freetext the word DONOR to 50050. It is now possible to store an organ donor card, the ‘ecard’ on Smart mobile phones. Simply search for ‘Donor ECard’ at the IPhone Store or Android Market Place.
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All violent prisoners should be on Spike Island…..
With a snipers in a watch tower on each corner..
Food and new prisoners dropped off every week.
Let them kill each other for all I care…….
Every government since I joined this Job has fobbed the Prison Officers with the cheapest crap they could buy. Instead of buying quality equipment that would last for years the mantra has always been get the cheapest you can and if its poor quality it is not an issue.
And I am sure the members of the Gardai will echo what I have said for their equipment.
They would rather spend ten of millions giving Junkies Disability Allowances and everything that goes with it than spend 1 or 2 million of equipment that would over time save millions.
The latest thing with us is instead of buying new good quality stab vests for each Officer they want us to take ancient Control and Restraint breastplates that have been laying in storage for 15+ years being pissed on by rats and mice that were deigned unfit for purpose when they were put away all that time ago and use them as “Stab Vests” when they offer no cover to the sides or lower abdomen or lower back.
They wont issue each Officer with their own extendible baton because they are afraid an Officer may just actually use it to defend themselves or someone else. And wont even discuss the idea of Pepper Spray which would be much less harmful in terms of injury to a prisoner than a baton would.
Lions led by Donkeys is an apt description of the Prison Officers and the Civil Servants running IPS.
Pepper spray is a no brainer. No lasting effects and drops d gouger like a rock. And shud be cheap 2 provide. Cannot understand d mentality. Do gooders have literally ruined this country and put prison officers in harm’s way just 2 be pc. Dumb!
Honest to god is this government for real ? Leave the prison officers alone. If I’m correct there basically looking to implement 9 – 7 shifts instead of 8 – 8 ? Increasing the working year by 25 days per officer at no extra cost & no need to recruit new staff. So absolutely no family life for the officers. When was the last time a jail went up in a riot type situation ??? A long time ago, officers do a unbelievable job under extreme circumstances. As usual this government attacks the average worker on the ground level.
Pepperspray does not always work. Tasers would be good option.
But really it should be a rule if you attack a prison officer you go to the underground level never to see natural light and kept in small cell 23 hours a day. Even when out of the cell it’s just in hallway till sentence ends.
Would that work mick?
Not sure if ur being sarcastic or not Charles. I’m a bit slow like that. I see d simple picture. Black and white. Prison officers r d good guys and prisoners r d bad guys. So yeah ur idea has some merit. Better than d current system.
Charles. Tazers are pie in the sky stuff. Even with the Gardai they are only issued to the ERU if I am not mistaken. On the whole Level 4 strength pepper spray and a baton as back up would be more than adequate for our current needs.
In fairness the Luas does run to Tallaght.
Many from tallaght also stay in the joy.
I’m sure there are many mothers and fathers living in tallaght who are trying to teach their children right and wrong and bring them up to be decent.
And not make stuck up snobby jibes on the Internet.
State always take cheap option. The luas guards have better stab vests then the guards
Anyone who has a stab proof vest has a better one than we in the prisons do.
Why ???
Because we don’t have ANY !!!
The 1st priority 4 govt and management shud be equipping d prison officers adequately and ensuring their safety. Only when that is fully implemented shud prisoners”rights” be taken into consideration.
The head of IPS and the Minister are from a welfare background and are only interested in positive press and have a view that any prisoner in jail is a victim and should be treated as one and not as violent criminal.
The stabbing of 2 officers last week ,was a inconvenience for them and lip service has been payed to stab vests and pepper spray.
The minister went into the lower house yesterday and tried to turn the incompetency of IPS back on officers. Shame on you minister and your mangers
Prison is a controlled environment. Do the job right and no prisoner will have a weapon.
Says someone that has most likely never set foot in a Prison let alone dealt with a violent prisoner.
Just yesterday one officer had to go to hospital after being struck in the face with a brush handle. Just because you don’t have the imagination to make weapons out of the most mundane everyday things they do. Take a tooth brush to you and most people that is all it is. To a prisoner and a Prison Officer it is a potential weapon. Shape one end to a point it becomes a stabbing weapon, Melt the bristles and insert the blades from a disposable Razor and you have a slashing weapon. A bar of soap in a sock and you have a clubbing weapon. A length of wire and two pens and you have a garrotte.
So when you actually know what you are talking about then maybe just maybe you can make statements like the one above.
I was wondering why all the prisoners like getting boots hampers for Christmas.
Luas security officers are Stazi-like. They’re checking train tickets but act like East German assassins!
It’s a no brainer,prison officers should be extremely highly trained and properly equiped and get whatever support they need at all times,the same goes for the gardai.You can be sure ministers do
In one prison I knew, the prisoners had better stab vests than the screws.
I know … my ex fella was banged up for 6 months for GBH in the prison
Oh dear.
… but it was the best thing that could happen, I met another fella, when he was inside
What!!!
You couldn’t wait 6 months?
Sounds like he’s better off without you so!
Must have been a UK prison because Irish Prison Officers don’t have stab vests.
Glen, I couldn’t go a week without it, never mind 6 months!
Mick,
yes, it was in England
Well prison officers are free to leave and apply for a job on luas security. I’m positive every luas security guard would happily swap jobs with them. Why do people with the best jobs in this country just shut up and appreciate what they have for once. If you don’t like your job you are free to leave.
thats a load of C**P John , So its ok to accept bad working conditions ??No matter where a person works they are entitled to work in a safe environment , as safe as it possibly can be . So your solution to all people who are employed and being treated unfairly is to leave their job ?? Get real would you , Prison Officers are doing a job have mortgages and bills the same as everyone else they are not “free” to leave their employment as you put it BUT they are entitled to feel somewhat protected in a dangerous workplace ,THATS ALL THEY ARE ASKING
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