An annual Mass for organ donors and their families took place on Sunday May 17 in Knock Basilica. The occasion brought together transplant recipients, those awaiting transplants, medical teams, and bereaved families who have donated the organs of their loved ones to mark Organ Donor Awareness Week, which runs until May 23.
Claremorris native Nicole Grier Walsh spoke at the Mass about her family’s experience of organ donation. When her mother died of a brain aneurysm in 2012, Ms Walsh and her family made the decision to donate five of her organs.
In her speech, Ms Walsh shared that “there has always been a real sense of pride in knowing my mum was able to help others.”
“Her donation gave other people a second chance at life, and that is an extraordinary thing to be able to say about someone you love.”
Speaking about the importance of Organ Donor Awareness Week, she described how it prompts people to openly share their wishes with their families. “When a family is asked to make that decision in the middle of shock and grief, the greatest comfort can be certainty.”