A Father’s Day like no other
- Róisín McManus -
The family of a Monaghan father, who donated a kidney to his son, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the life-saving transplant together on Father's Day.
Now a decade on, Paul Conlon has nominated the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) as this year’s beneficiary of their local Inniskeen Annual Charity Walk, which took place on Sunday, June 7, and has so far raised over €7,000 for the charity.
More than 120 participants took part in the recent walk and organisers are hopeful that the final figure will exceed €10,000. Proceeds will go towards the IKA’s National Kidney Support Centre €250,000 renovation fundraising appeal, which is entering its final phase.
Located 200 metres from the entrance of Beaumont Hospital, the centre has been providing free overnight accommodation and day facilities for kidney patients and their families since 2000.
Paul’s son Mark previously received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor when he was aged just seven years. It gave him the opportunity to enjoy a normal childhood and adolescence. The transplant lasted until 2016, when at the age of 22, Mark received the transplant from his then 53-year-old father.
On both transplant occasions, the National Kidney Support Centre provided a home away from home for the family.
Paul and his wife Patricia stayed at the centre, while their son recovered from his first transplant at Temple Street Children’s Hospital. Patricia again relied on the centre while her husband and son underwent their living donor kidney transplant operations at Beaumont Hospital.
As both a wife and mother, Patricia has experienced two sides of the transplant journey.
“The Support Centre was a lifeline for our family on both occasions,” Patricia said.
“When your loved ones are in hospital, having somewhere comfortable and supportive nearby makes an enormous difference.”
Today, both Paul and Mark are doing well and continue to share a close bond cemented through their transplant journey.
Mark now lives a 10-minute drive from his parents in his own home in Carrickmacross with his partner of six years, Naomi. He works part-time in a motor parts department of a car garage. If he is not spending his free time pursuing his passion for cars, he is helping his semi-retired father with running his small suckler farm.
This Father’s Day, Mark joined his father and the rest of the family to celebrate together, something they never take for granted.
“The transplant allowed me to get on with life,” said Mark.
“I have my own home, a job, great support from Naomi and my family, and I’m able to do the things I enjoy.”
“Ten years on, I’m very grateful for the opportunities my father’s kidney donation has given me.”
Sharing his perspective, Paul said that seeing his son living independently, working, enjoying life and planning for the future is “exactly” what they hoped for when he donated his kidney.
“Throughout his journey, Mark's brother Alan and sister Aoife have been a constant source of love and support.”
“As a family, we’ll be together again this Father's Day, happy and healthy, and that’s something we’ll always be thankful for.”
This Father's Day will be “particularly special” for Patricia and her family.
“Ten years on, we're celebrating not just a successful transplant, but the kindness and support that helped our family through some of the most challenging times in our lives.
“The Irish Kidney Association and its National Kidney Support Centre was part of that journey, and we're delighted to help ensure it will be there for future families too.”
The family also remembers with deep gratitude the deceased donor family whose gift of organ donation gave Mark 14 healthy years before he needed a second transplant.
To support the IKA’s National Kidney Support Centre fundraising appeal visit: www.supportkidneycentre.ie