Local CF patient makes appeal for organ donors

A Laytown man who has been on the waiting list for a lung transplant for the past 10 years this week appealed to people to carry a donor card. Paul Wynn of Inse Bay says that a transplant would dramatically improve the quality of his life and would significantly add to his life expectancy. The 26 year-old cystic fibrosis patient is fully behind the Organ Donor Awareness Week campaign and says that carrying an organ donor card has the potential to save lives. Paul is in the transplant waiting pool for a lung transplant at Dublin's Mater Hospital and has been awaiting a transplant for around 10 years. He lives in Laytown with his wife, Ciara, whom he married over a year ago. Initially, he was on the waiting list for a transplant in the UK, and then when the lung transplant programme for CF patients commenced in Ireland at the Mater Hospital, he switched over to the Mater. He decided to move to the Mater list because he would be closer to his family if he had a transplant. "My family would be closer to me if I got a transplant in Ireland and Ciara wouldn't have to travel to the UK when I'd be in recovery," he said. Paul says that a transplant would transform his life. Cystic Fibrosis attacks the respiratory and digestive systems and he says that he manages at the moment through a rigorous regime of medication and preserverenance. He is very susceptible to infections and every infection takes a toll on his body. He has to carefully plan his days, but despite this, is studying computers at Roslyn Park College in Sandymount. However, he has to carry a portable oxygen tank in the boot of his car at all times as he gets breathless very easily. If he wants to go on holiday, he has to make sure he can access oxygen abroad and it can take up to an hour to administer his medicaiton each day. However, he is thankful that he is not totally dependent on an oxygen tank at the moment. Paul believes that dramatic advertising is needed to ensure people carry organ donor cards, something which saves lives and greatly imrpoves quality of life. RTE TV and radio presenter, Joe Duffy, has pledged his support to this year's Organ Donor Awareness Week campaign. He said: "Many of us have known someone who has experienced organ failure. In many cases, their only chance of survival is a life-saving transplant. It is thanks to the generosity of deceased donors and their families' consent to donate their loved ones organs that almost 2,400 people in Ireland are enjoying extended life as a result of receiving organ transplants. The legacy of organ donation for transplantation is immeasurable. I would encourage everyone to carry an organ donor card." There are currently over 650 people in Ireland awaiting life-saving organ transplants, including heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas. The focus of Organ Donor Awareness Week is to raise awareness about the ongoing and ever increasing demand for organ donation and transplantation and to seek support from the public to make an informed decision to carry an organ donor card. The Irish Kidney Association volunteers will be fundraising in Navan Town Centre on 7th April and there will be collections throughout next week in various locations in Kells and Athboy. The Irish Kidney Association is the organisation charged with the promotion and distribution of the organ donor card in Ireland on behalf of all patient groups with an interest in organ donation that form the Irish Donor Network. Information fact files which accompany organ donor cards can be obtained (free of charge) from the Irish Kidney Association and are available nationwide from pharmacies, GP surgeries and Citizens' Information Centres. Organ Donor Cards can also be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association on LoCall 1890 543 639 or Freetext the word DONOR to 50050. Visit website www.ika.ie for more information