Northern Ireland Transplant Forum launches first ever tournament celebrating organ donations’ gift of a lifetime
Irish League stars Peter Thompson and Yohann Lacroix joined joined Upper Bann MLA Jo-Anne Dobson, British Transplant Games Medal winner Hannah Kee, other Assembly Members,donor families, transplant survivors, local charities and healthcare professionals to ‘kick off’ the GOAL tournament in style encouraging local people to ‘save’ the date of Sunday 29 September and make supporting organ donation their GOAL!
Organised by the Northern Ireland Transplant Forum (NITF), the GOAL Tournament will take place on Sunday 29 September from 1pm in the Playball Arena based at the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association, Pavillion, Stormont. GOAL aims to celebrate how organ donation is a gift of a lifetime which transforms and saves lives.
Speaking about the importance of organ donation,2013 British Transplant Games Medal Winner and transplant recipient Hannah Kee from Lisburn said: “Before my transplant my life revolved around my illness. My life was on hold while my friends enjoyed their teenage years. Then my dad gave me the greatest gift I will ever get in my life – he gave me a kidney. I was extremely lucky he was match.”
Speaking about how the transplant changed her life, Hannah said: “Due to my dad’s gift, the transplant transformed my life completely. Now I’m able to do the things I couldn’t do and I’m leading the life just like a typical 20 year old.
“I am proud to take part in the British Transplant Games. For me it’s not about winning medals. It’s about raising awareness with local people of how organ donation gave me my life back. But like so many young people out there that are fortunate enough to receive a transplant, none of this would have been possible without the extraordinary gift from donors and their families.”
Commenting Ulster Unionist MLA Jo-Anne Dobson, who hosted the launch of the tournament at Stormont and who is currently consulting on a private members bill to change local organ donation laws said: "As an MLA with deeply personal experience of organ donation I know that the GOAL Tournament next month will once again help us to promote the life-saving power of organ donation.
"I was absolutely delighted to work alongside so many professional organisations, including all of the charities of the Transplant Forum, British Heart Foundation (BHF) Northern Ireland and the IFA to officially launch Northern Ireland's first ever GOAL Tournament."
Event organiser William Johnston from NITF said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming local people to what promises to be a fun and family free day out on Sunday 29 September. So come on down to the Pavillion, Stormont Estate, Belfast from 1pm onwards and help us celebrate the precious ‘gift of a lifetime’ that is organ donation.”
Caption: Attending the GOAL Launch at Parliament Building's Stormont were from L to R: Geoff Wilson Head of Marketing and Communications at the Irish Football Association, BBC's Stephen Watson, Crusader's Goalkeeper Yohann Lacroix, Jo-Anne Dobson MLA, Mark Dobson and Linfield Striker Peter Thompson.