The Irish Kidney Association is urging people to talk to their families about becoming an organ donor.
They issued the message to mark the beginning of Organ Donor Awareness Week.
Wonderful to see people stepping forward to make a difference and encourage the public to have the ORGAN DONATION CONVERSATION. #OrganDonationWorks To get your organ donor card: https://t.co/asD0LkorQ9 https://t.co/yaxAoNzRiQ
— Irish Kidney Association (@IrishKidneyAs) March 30, 2018
The Association is also urging people to ensure their organ donor card is visible and asking them to permit Code 115 to be included on their driver's license which indicate that you wish to be a organ donor.
Aine May O'Mahony received a double kidney and pancreas transplant and she says organ donation changes people's lives.
"For people considering it, your gift is not just saving the life of others, [it's] changing the life of others, and as a result of that, we're looking to give back as well in whatever way we can, so I would suggest for Organ Donor Awareness week, popping into your GP, picking up a card, going online, contacting the Irish Kidney Association and make that decision," she said.
Organ Donor Cards are available from the Irish Kidney Association or can be procured by freetexting the word DONOR to 50050.
2017 was a record year for organ transplantation in Ireland.
327 organs were transplanted into 321 patients which included 23 surgeries on children.
260 transplants were with organs from 99 deceased donors.
An additional 15 Irish patients underwent 16 HSE funded transplants in the UK.
