Cyclist’s Mullingar stop to highlight organ donation

Peter Conboy’s resolve was palpable as he peddled into the Market Square, Mullingar on Thursday of last week, towing a 30kg dialysis machine in a specially designed trailer. He began his journey at Temple Street Hospital, Dublin, the previous day and he was undertaking the cycle to raise awareness of organ donation and help raise funds for the Irish Kidney Association (IKA).

His endeavour was Peter’s tribute to his wife Liz, from Falcarragh, Donegal, who is received a life-saving kidney transplant 22 years ago.

Killucan man Eddie Flood, IKA chairman, joined the Galway native at Hill Of Down and cycled to Mullingar with him to the halfway point of the journey. The cycle concluded at the Circle Of Life remembrance garden in Salthill, Galway on Sunday morning.

“The kidney transplant transformed her (Liz’s) life so as a mark of respect and out of gratitude to her donor, we decided this year to undertake this charity cycle,” Peter said.

He and Liz used the event to highlight the importance of organ donation to help raise funds for the charity’s patient services.

“This is some feat for anyone to undertake and we’re extremely grateful to Peter,” said Mr Flood, who has been part of the Westmeath branch of the IKA for many years.

The cycle is just one of the initiatives being undertaken by the charity. Mullingar man Millie Walsh retired from Maxol after 40 years last Tuesday and a GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for a charity close to his heart. Millie’s daughter Regina has had three kidney transplants and is currently awaiting a fourth. “Millie has been an advocate and a supporter of the IKA for years,” said Mr Flood.

Eddie is also taking part in a cycle on August 17 from Achill to Westport. Before that, he will have the IKA mobile unit at Tullamore Show on Sunday, August 11.

Peter spoke of how he and Liz were keen to show their appreciation for the gift of transplantation. “The main motivation was Liz, who was diagnosed when she was 14 – she was on dialysis for six months. That had a big impact on her life. She got a transplant 22 years ago now and all is great, and without that transplant, her life would be totally restricted,” he said.

“She’s been able to college, and travel the world, and we still love our travelling and making the most out of life. She wouldn’t have been able to do that if she was hooked to a machine for 11 hours a day.

He said the cycle had been “pretty intense” but enjoyable. “I’m doing it because it kind of symbolises the journey that people take when they have kidney failure. I’m towing a dialysis machine and taking a big journey, and at the end, it’ll finish at the circle of life, Galway. That’s kind of the same journey as a transplant patient has taken when they are being given the organ, the gift of life,” he said.

“They are undergoing a huge journey, and when they get that gift at the end, it’s the best thing that happens.”

Liz said: “Before being transplanted, I was very sick, and I did six months on dialysis at 14 years of age. I was doing peritoneal dialysis at home, six nights a week for 11 hours at a time on the machine. It was very tough; you are restricted to your room, you couldn’t leave because you were hooked up to a machine.

“The freedom a transplant has given me – it was just something else. I’ve been able to travel. We’re always away somewhere, we were in Australia and New Zealand for four years, myself and Pete; we had a great time, and just even the simple things it gives you.

“We got married five years ago and it’s the simple things in life that you can enjoy, like not having restricted diets and fluid intake; you can just live a normal life. It’s been amazing, life-changing, and the number of people we’ve met along the way who were either just starting out, or have been on this journey at long time. I just want to say thanks to my donor and their family and to all donors. You can save so many lives by donating your organs, just giving somebody a normal life back.”

Liz is encouraging people to carry a donor card, and to have a conversation with their families about their wish to participate in organ donation.

“People don’t realise the importance of a donor card and the most important message we’re trying to send out is to leave no doubt, to talk to your family, talk to your friends, because, at the end of the day they have the final decision when it comes to donating your organs.

"It’s important to have that chat and make sure they know your wishes and if you want to donate that they’ll hopefully be on board at that time,” she said. She was thrilled with the response they received in Mullingar.

“We’ve met a few people already who are just starting out in this journey of renal disease, so it’s showing them the sport the IKA can provide for them. We just met a family there a few minutes ago, their child will need a transplant in time. They didn’t really know and we were saying to sign up now,” Liz said.

“The support is there, it’s a great community among all the transplant patients. We all have something we have something in common and their families are all on board and there to support.”

The link to the GoFundMe page set up to mark Millie Walsh’s retirement is: https://gofund.me/e14b8b65.