A suckler farmer from Co. Westmeath has recently been appointed as the new national honorary chairperson of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA).
Eddie Flood has taken over the role, for a two-year term, from the outgoing chair Colin MacKenzie.
Eddie, a kidney transplant recipient and Dublin native, has been living in Killucan, Co. Westmeath, since 2000. The former South Dublin County Council employee and now small-scale suckler farmer is married to Jennifer, with whom he has four adult sons.
“I bought a Land Commission farm in Killucan. It was originally a dairy farm but I changed to suckler farming,” he said.
Eddie, who grew up on a smallholding in Bohernabreena which is now farmed by his brother, has been an active voluntary member of the IKA for over 14 years
He underwent a kidney transplant in May 2011. A strong advocate for organ donation, every year, in memory and gratitude to his deceased kidney donor and their family, he plants a tree on his farm.
Eddie has held the voluntary role of chair of the Westmeath branch of the IKA for the past eight years. Since 2012, he has been a director to the national board and in 2019, he was elected to the role of national honorary treasurer.
He was diagnosed in 2007 with the hereditary kidney condition, Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), when his youngest son was just eight years old. In 2009 he started dialysis treatment, which he underwent for almost two years until he received his life changing kidney transplant.
Two of his brothers have also received kidney transplants from deceased organ donors. Their mother had kidney failure when she died at the age of 65.
Irish Kidney Association
In welcoming his appointment as chair of the IKA, Eddie said he was honoured to take up the post from retiring chair, Colin Mackenzie. He commended him for his leadership and wisdom, in a time of tremendous challenges due to Covid-19.
“As Covid-19 is still with us, I encourage people to take up the opportunity for booster vaccines,” said Eddie. He also paid tribute to outgoing secretary, John Whelan.
“I look forward to working closely with the IKA’s CEO Carol Moore and the staff at Donor House in Park West, Dublin, and to champion and oversee the wonderful work of the IKA made possible by its valued grassroots membership of over 3,000 people, including volunteers, from 25 branches,” he continued.
“I also look forward to working with the newly appointed honorary national secretary, Marie Fowley from Sligo, and national honorary treasurer, Joan Gavan, from Tipperary.
“I feel privileged that during my chairmanship, I will oversee the completion and opening of our second state-of-the-art IKA renal support and accommodation centre beside Cork University Hospital next year.”
‘Knowledge and empathy’
Carol Moore, chief executive of the IKA, said that Eddie brings a wealth of knowledge and empathy developed through his own lived experience of kidney failure and his years of voluntary work within the Westmeath branch and on the national board.
“We know that we are in safe hands and look forward to working under his guidance,” she said.
The IKA, a registered charity, provides many forms of assistance and support – financial, emotional and practical – to all kidney patients, their families and carers.
The organisation is charged with the promotion and distribution of the organ donor card in Ireland, and, as part of this role, coordinates organ donor awareness activities on behalf of Organ Donation Transplant Ireland (ODTI.)
Eddie will carry out the role of narrator for the IKA’s 37th annual service of remembrance and thanksgiving for organ donors and transplant recipients, which will be broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Radio 1 Extra next Sunday, October 30, at 11:00a.m.
Those keen to support organ donation are encouraged to keep the reminders of their decision to hand by carrying the organ donor card, permitting code 115 to be included on their driver’s licence or having the ‘digital organ donor card’ app on their smartphone.