Last week AIB Grafton Street supported the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) in a week long awareness drive. Christina Leighburn, Branch Manager and Vanessa Brennan, Retail Manager reached out to Colin White, National Projects Manager of the IKA who was delighted to take the opportunity to discuss organ donation with the public in such a central location. A group of IKA volunteers helped out during the drive, amongst them, organ transplant recipients, people on dialysis and family members.

Sharing our space
Vanessa Brennan said “It is wonderful to be in a position to help the IKA drive awareness. We have a great footfall here in AIB Grafton Street and it’s great to be able to share our space with such a commendable and positive cause”. The branch regularly holds internal and external events for local charities and businesses in the area.

About the IKA
Around 4,200 people in Ireland have kidney failure. Just over half are being treated by transplant and the other half with dialysis. From a European and international perspective, having just over half is a positive statistic. “That being said, last year was poor for transplantation, we can never rest on our laurels” said Colin White. “We are chasing an issue that is moving faster than we are, more and more people are awaiting transplants. Getting opportunities like this is valuable in driving positive awareness of organ donation and profiling the services of the IKA. Whilst keen to see transplantation grow, it’s also really important to pause and remember the donor families behind each transplant”.

The IKA have an annual Organ Donor Awareness week in spring, participate in European or World Transplant Games each summer and host various outreach community programmes throughout the year to drive awareness in schools and local businesses of organ donation and living with organ failure.

Find out more
The awareness drive was a resounding success with the IKA profile raised greatly in the local community. Population wise, just over 30% of Irish citizens hold a donor card. If you have the card it’s important to have a discussion with your loved ones about it, make sure they know your wishes. If you want an Organ Donor card, visit the IKA website to request one or download the app to your phone.

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