Kildare athletes bring home Transplant Games medals

ONE of the Kildare participants who secured a medal at the recent European Transplant games promptly handed it over on arrival back into Dublin Airport to his sister – the woman who donated him his new kidney.

Gerry McKenna (60), a recently retired contractor from the Morrell Estate in Naas received the living transplant from artist Nicola back in April 2017, and so the gesture was a no-brainer for himself.

“She met me at the airport and I just gave her my medal, because without her I wouldn’t be having a life at all – maybe on dialysis or something,” said Gerry.

“That dialysis is awful, but I was very lucky to miss it because it was a living transplant, but I got it maybe two or three weeks before having to start dialysis.

“Even out at the games there were some people who would have to do dialysis after they competed.

“They could have had a transplant that only lasted 10 or 15 years before beginning to fail, and they have to wait for another.

“I suffered from Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), found out at 26, and was told the cysts would continue to grow until I needed dialysis or a transplant.

“PKD runs in the family, but luckily I’m the only one who got it.

“I’m the eldest of seven, so they’ve all known for years; the family was tuned up with it, they had the conversation, and Nicola insisted she would do it.

“I was completely out of the decision; they came up with it themselves."

Gerry was one of three Kildare men who were among the athletes proudly representing Transplant Sport Ireland (TSI) at the European Transplant Games in Arnhem, Netherlands, helping Team Ireland secure an impressive 28 medals despite the event being cut short due to extreme heat.

James Nolan (Kilcullen) and J.P. O'Neill (Kildare) both claimed silver medals in the Golf Singles competition, while Gerry McKenna won his bronze in Ten Pin Bowling, while also representing Ireland in Darts and Pétanque.

“You’d know James Nolan, he’s the big butcher in Kilcullen, and does a lot of work for kidney research through the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund,” said Gerry.

“He also sponsors the Transplant Team kit”.

Gerry explained that there were almost 800 athletes from 22 countries in Arnhem for the Euros, which leapfrog the Worlds every two years.

“Next year the World Games are in Leuven in Belgium, while last year they were in Dresden (Germany).

“I’m only new to it, so these were my first ever Games.

“The British Games are on in Sheffield in a few weeks, but I won’t be going to them,” said Gerry. 

The Kildare athletes were part of a 24-strong Irish team that travelled to the Games, where competitors from across Europe came together to celebrate life after transplantation through sport.

Although a government-issued Code Red heat warning resulted in the cancellation of the final days of competition, Team Ireland still returned home with an outstanding haul of 16 gold, seven silver and five bronze medals.

“For the athletes involved, however, the games are about much more than medals,” said a spokesperson for TSI.

“Every competitor has faced significant medical challenges and undergone life-saving transplant surgery. The achievements of James, J.P. and Gerry are a source of great pride for Kildare and serve as an inspiring reminder of the life-changing impact of organ donation and the generosity of donors and their families,” she said.

Gerry concluded: “Organ donation saves lives, but the conversation about having the conversation about transplants is very important. We’re back playing sport after a transplant, and that’s how good life can be."