Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE

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Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
Hea th
staff magazine of the IRISH HEALTH SERVICE                     vol. 14 | issue 18 | summer 2019

Eamonn hit
for six on
                                               Dementia
marathon                                      garden in
trail
Galway paramedic
                                             full bloom
completes unique                                Reminiscence the theme of
feat in Tokyo                                People’s Choice Award winner

  features                 general news          you section                      lifestyle
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
Welcome to the
latest edition of
Health Matters
This edition we sat down with the new HSE
Director General Paul Reid, who took up his
role last month.
  He shared with us his vision for the future
of Irish health service, and stressed that we
must use Sláintecare as the roadmap to ‘move
forward in a unified strategic direction’.
  He highlighted the vital role technology will
play in the reform of our health service and
said patient care will suffer if we do not invest
heavily in it.
  He also praised the ‘can-do’ attitude from HSE
staff that he has already met with up and down
the country.
  Killinthomas Lodge in Kildare opened in
October 2016 to support four ladies who
have an intellectual disability and are living
with dementia. The focus in Killinthomas is to
support the individuals to live in their community
throughout their dementia journey through to the
end of their life. All four moved from congregated
settings to their beautiful new home.
  We speak to Martina Leigh, Clinical Nurse
Specialist in Ageing Care for People with an
Intellectual Disability at the Muiriosa Foundation,
who leads the interdisciplinary dementia team
that set up the house to be environmentally
                                                          Contents                                                                
supportive to living well with dementia.
  Pat O’Connor talked to us about her sister
Sheila, who is one of the residents living in the     You Section                               Features
house, and the differences the move has brought
                                                      6    In Bloom                             28 	NIMIS milestone
to both their lives.
                                                           Reminiscing in the dementia garden   	Two million requests handled
  Our cover story features paramedic Eamonn
                                                      8    Paul Reid                            30 	Mobile computing
Baxter who has the unique honour of completing
                                                      	New director general looks forward       	Enhancing patient care
all six of the marathon ‘majors’, earning himself
                                                      10 Supporting women                       31 	Voices connect for mental health
a very rare medal. Eamonn immediately passed
                                                      	Day of the midwife                       	Mullingar choir
this medal on to young Jonah Murphy, who
                                                      11 Steps to health                        32 Positive patient experience
Eamonn helped save from cardiac arrest when
                                                           Staff challenge                      	Ennis is the winner
he was just seven weeks of age.
                                                      12 Pride of the Coombe                    34 	Dental records project
  If there’s anything you would like to see
                                                           Bernie is master                     	Live in 221 locations
included in the magazine or if you have any
                                                      13 Skin cancer nurse                      36 	Data dictionary
other feedback, you can contact us at
                                                           Roscommon appointment                	One source of truth
healthmatters@hse.ie
                                                      14 Six majors winner                      37 	Tackling obesity
  Thank you to all those who have sent in
                                                      	Eamonn hands over his medal              	Unique community nursing initiative
contributions to this edition and I hope you find
                                                      16 	Kidney transplant                     38 Individual Health Identifier
plenty of interesting reading in it.
                                                           Paramedic shares his story           	Huge benefits

Joanne                                                18 	Life on the list
                                                      	Gordon speaks out
                                                                                                38 	Find the missing millions
                                                                                                	Hepatitis C in Ireland
 Weston
Joanne Weston,
                                                      19 	Life-saving holiday
                                                      	Mark a hero
                                                                                                40 	Transform your body and mind
                                                                                                     Cutting back on alcohol
                                                      20 	Values in Action                      41 	Maximising green space
Editor
                                                           Bumper bootcamp                      	Lourdes hospital project
                                                      22 	MARIO a unique guest                  42 Survey findings
This magazine is produced by the                      	Assistive dementia robot                 	Hospital-acquired infections
HSE Communications Division                           24 Supporting individuals                 43 Brush my teeth
                                                      	Enriching lives in their home            	Website for people with disabilities
Publishers: Celtic Media Group                        26 	Virtual lung clinic                   44 	Asthma and COPD
www.celticmediagroup.ie
                                                      	Keeping patients out of hospital         	Free adviceline
Feedback: Send your feedback to                       27 	Under the weather                     45 Communicating clearly
healthmatters@hse.ie                                       It can happen in summer too          	A patient’s view
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
74
                    16
      HEALTH MATTERS   SUMMER 2019

                                            46                   22

                        14
46  See the care, be the care

                                                             26
    Person-centred approach
48 	High-tech hub
    Patients the priority
49 	Triple P
	Making happier parents and children
50 	Alcohol liaison nurse
	Tackling the problem

                                                 2019 summer health matters   
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
Contents                                                                 

                                 News
                                 51 	Ark ambassadors
                                      Big welcome for rugby stars
                                 52 	Leadership skills
                                 	UL Hospitals programme
                                 52 	Life-saving work
                                      Control Room awards
                                 53 Primary care centre
                                      huge boost for Cork northside
                                 54 Smoke-free
                                 	Athletics Ireland initiative
                                 55 	End-of-life care

    24
                                 	Flagship project
                                 56 Pigmented lesion clinic
                                 	Official opening in Kerry

                                                                                 55
                                 56 	Martin honoured
                                 	NAS head gets alumni award
                                 57 	Transition Year students
                                 	Finding our Future
                                 57 	Volunteer anniversary
                                 	Extended role in UHG
                                 58 	Training event                          65 	Gynaecology initiative
                                      Reducing neonatal brain injuries           Cutting wait lists
                                 59 Physio-led pessary service               66 Study days
                                 	Unique in HSE                                  Colorectal department in UHW
                                 60 	Key priorities identified               66 	Hurling tops hit list
                                 	All-staff day at Office of CIO                 Sports-related injuries
                                 61 Protect again measles                    67 	Quality and Safety in
                                      Before you travel                      healthcare
                                 62 Collaborate and innovate                     International forum
                                 	HBS conference                             68 	HBS Estates toolkit
                                 63 	Assisted Decision-making                    Capital projects delivery

    78                           	An update
                                 64 Staff records
                                 	NISRP goes live in East
                                 65 	Tallaght Hospital
                                                                             69 Snuggle stories
                                                                                 Success in Waterford
                                                                             70 Prostate cancer
                                                                                 Information sessions for patients
                                 	Digital music project

    16
   health matters summer 2019
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
HEALTH MATTERS   SUMMER 2019   online

                                                       Sites we like           www.hse.ie/hepc

                                                                           www.brushmyteeth.ie

Lifestyle
70 Snack swap
	Make the healthy choice
72 	Hospital food
	New policy launched
74 	Healthy Ireland launch
    60pc of adults overweight
76 Boccia win
    Ballytivnan show resilience
76 	Donegal artwork                                                   www.gov.ie/HealthyIreland
	Artist thanks hospital staff
77 	Food waste prevention
    Save money too
78 	Multicultural Celebration
	Limerick full of colour

                                                                    www.smartstorecooking.com

                  51
                                                                2019 summer health matters   
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
You
     Section

Sti m ul ating the senses in the ga rd en
Reminiscence, nature and e
quality of life for people
                 ighlighting the importance and

     H
                 value of what is remembered and
                 not what is forgotten was the aim
                 of the dementia-friendly garden at
                 this year’s Bloom Festival.
  For Dr Suzanne Timmons, Clinical Lead for
Dementia at the HSE’s National Dementia
Office, the Dementia: Understand Together
campaign’s ‘Memories are Made of This’ 1950s-
themed show garden was about facilitating
the therapeutic benefits of reminiscence. She
explained how gardening can play such a vital
role in helping people with dementia.
  “For many people with dementia, recalling
memories from years gone by is often easier
than remembering more recent events. We also
know that reminiscing has a positive effect on
the quality of life of people with dementia. By
stimulating the senses, whether it’s seeing a
High Nelly bike, or smelling a rose, or touching a
daisy, or listening to a GAA match on the radio,
the aim is to whisk the person back to days of joy
and contentment,” said Suzanne.
  “The Dementia: Understand Together
campaign has been part of the Bloom festival
by Bord Bia for three years and this year our
garden aims to build on the gardens that have
gone before. Previously, we have emphasised
the health and social benefits of getting out and     aspect of the garden and will roll their sleeves     is tolerated as everyone is very fond of them and
about in the garden, and the focus this year is on    up and get stuck in whereas other residents          would hate to see them leave.
stimulating reminiscence.”                            enjoy the relaxation aspect of the garden when         “Residents have also enjoyed indoor planting
  The garden, named after the song made               sitting out in it, often with their families. The    of window boxes and pots. The residents have
famous by 1950s crooner Dean Martin and               maintenance work is mostly carried out in the        commented on the enjoyment and waited
the creation of award-winning designer Robert         courtyard garden which has raised flower beds        anticipation of watching the plant break through
Moore, took people back in time to when               for ease of access. The flowers in the garden        the soil from seed and this has also required an
gardens not only provided food for the soul, but      were chosen for their sensory stimulation,           establishment of a routine to water and monitor
food for the table too. It featured a manicured       some for sound, some for smell and others for        the plant each day.”
formal space with box hedges and tea roses            touch,” said Sharon.                                   Sharon explained the value of helping people
emblematic of the era, as well as a practical fruit     “There is also a kitchen garden section in the     with dementia to keep up their hobbies and
and vegetable patch that provided much of what        courtyard garden where edible plants are grown       interests, including gardening.
was on the menu in people’s homes at the time.        and this always promotes reminiscence about            “When we discuss hobbies and interests with
  Many of the treasures from the 50s featured         vegetables that in the past would have be grown      people we are talking about activities that people
in the garden were inspired by the reflections of     in every home. The larger garden also has life-      have chosen to make time for in their life. This
members of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s         size models of a cow and calves and a pig in it      is because it provides a meaningful, usually
Bloomfield Social Club in Dublin who engaged          which again become a focal point for discussion      enjoyable experience that the person can fully
with the team in a series of workshops to inform      and reminiscence as most of our residents would      engage in. People have said to me that when
the design and content elements of the garden.        have kept animals. The animals also give a sense     they are engaged in their hobbies time tends
  Sharon Richardson, Senior Occupational              of familiarity to the garden which is enjoyed by     to ‘run away on them’. This is very different to
Therapist, sees the value in the dementia-            the residents and their visitors alike and always    the experience we have for carrying out tasks
friendly garden in St Patrick’s Hospital,             generates conversation. There are also two           that we know need to be done. This is why it
Carrick-on-Shannon. She said being out in the         rabbits that have made this garden their home        is essential for us to know what a meaningful
garden and in nature can give people differing        and are always being spotted by our residents        activity is for the person living with dementia
experiences, highlighting the value of the garden     which always creates great interest. This is         so that they can be supported to continue to
environment in the dementia unit.                     posing a bit of a problem for the growth of plants   engage in this,” she said.
  “Some residents enjoy the maintenance               as all the plants are being eaten by them but this     “When supporting a person living with

     health matters summer 2019
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
Top Tips to Stimulate

exercise improves
                                                                                                         Reminiscence in
                                                                                                         Your Garden

 with dementia
                                                                                                           • Find the Scent of a Rose. There is nothing
                                                                                                         like the scent and elegance of an old tea rose
                                                                                                         to transport you back in time. Why not consider
                                                                                                         planting one in your garden later this autumn?
                                                                                                           • Hit the right note. Why not incorporate fea-
                                                                                                         tures such as wind-chimes to gently usher you to
                                                                                                         a world of peace and tranquillity? Or perhaps put
                                                                                                         in a gramophone in your back shed and throw a
                                                                                                         few shapes with Elvis Presley on the deck?
                                                                                                           • Be cool as a cucumber. Remember when
                                                                                                         you’d pop out to the back garden for a head of
                                                                                                         lettuce, a handful of onions or some rhubarb?
                                                                                                         Why not install an easy-to-manage vegetable
                                                                                                         patch? You can start with a small raised bed in
                                                                                                         your sunniest spot.
                                                                                                           • Seek the object of the exercise. Do pink
                                                                                                         flamingos take you back to a bygone world? Why
                                                                                                         not resurrect your mischievous gnomes and place
                                                                                                         them around the garden? They are sure to give
                                                                                                         you a warm feeling and become a real talking
                                                                                                         point for visitors.
                                                                                                           • Have the Midas touch. Remember the feeling
                                                                                                         of those daisies and how you plucked each petal
                                                                                                         as a child – ‘she loves me, she loves me not’?
                                                                                                         Other flowers and plants that are sure to conjure
                                                                                                         up golden memories include lupins, delphiniums,
                                                                                                         primulas and, garden favourite, geraniums.

  dementia, it is very important to know what         –September in 2018 with plans to roll out
  interests the person has at that time and           similar walks later this year as the feedback
  whether enthusiasm towards a certain hobby          was so positive. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown
  has remained or indeed new interests have           Sports Partnership provided a walking leader
  been developed. The important factor is that        who led the group in a warm up before the
  the hobby/ interest remains enjoyable and           walk, pointed out nature along the way,
  achievable for the person so that they can          encouraged the group to stretch at various
  continue to fully engage in it. This may mean       intervals throughout and finished the walk with
  looking at parts of the activity that the person    a cool down. Michelle took photos of nature
  can engage in rather than the completion of the     and shared them with the group afterwards.
  whole activity. It does not then become the focus   These photos were enjoyed by others who
  to complete the activity but to enjoy the taking    could not attend the walks but were interested
  part in that piece of the activity.”                in staying connected.
                                                                                                        Clockwise from left: Dr Ciara Kelly,
    Understanding the value of exercise, Dr             “The walks were very sociable with everyone     broadcaster, and Dementia: Understand Together
  Michelle Hardie Murphy, HSE Health Promotion        mingling, chatting and sharing stories in a       campaign ambassador, whose mother was
  and Improvement Officer collaborated with the       casual normal way. It was simply a group of       diagnosed with dementia, before passing away in
  Living Well with Dementia (LWwD) Project HSE        people out walking, enjoying nature and each      2017, Ciara’s son Blaise, aged nine, his best friend
                                                                                                        Lily Bateman-Cullen, also aged nine, with Adrian
  Community Healthcare East, and Dún Laoghaire        other’s company,” said Michelle.                  Cullen, Dean Martin tribute artist; the ‘Memories
  Rathdown Sports Partnership to organise                                                               are Made of This’ garden at Bloom, winner of the
  dementia-friendly walks. On an ongoing basis,                                                         People’s Choice Award; and (l-r) Emer Begley, Senior
                                                         MORE INFORMATION                               Project Manager, National Dementia Office, HSE;
  LWwD run a weekly activities programme to
                                                                                                        Dr Suzanne Timmons, Clinical Lead, HSE National
  encourage people with a diagnosis of dementia         For more information on the Dementia:           Dementia Office; Dr Ciara Kelly; Dr Stephanie
  to keep up their interests and prevent social         Understand Together campaign, including         O’Keeffe, National Director, Strategic Planning &
  isolation. Families had shared an interest in         a service-finder detailing county-by-county     Transformation, HSE; Robert Moore, award-winning
                                                        dementia supports and services available,       garden designer; Marie Killeen, General Manager,
  joining a walking group.                              visit www.understandtogether.ie or              Office of the National Director, Strategic Planning
    The walks, advertised as “Walk and Talk”,           Freephone 1800 341 341.                         and Transformation, HSE; Dr Emer Coveney,
  took place in Cabinteely Park from August                                                             National Programme Manager, Age Friendly Ireland.

                                                                                                                  2019 summer health matters                 
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
You
     Section

New Di rector Gene ra l
‘We must focus on
long-term plan to
move us forward’
                aul Reid took up his new role        What is your vision for the

     P
                of HSE Director General on May       health service?
                14th and is looking forward to       The organisation has had a lot of ups and
                working with all staff to improve    downs over the last decade, and we are facing
                our heath service under the          numerous challenges. My vision for our health
Sláintecare Action Plan 2019.                        service is to focus on longer-term planning and
  He has extensive experience working in the         use Sláintecare as our roadmap to move forward
public service. Before taking on this role, Paul     in a unified strategic direction.
was Chief Executive of Fingal County Council
for over five years. He joined the Department        My top three priorities to achieve this vision are:
of Public Expenditure and Reform as the                1. Delivering quality patient care
Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he led the    Patients are at the centre of all that we do
development, implementation and oversight of         and I want to support staff in ensuring that the
the Government’s reform programme across             experience of the patient and the people who use
the civil and public service.                        our services are paramount to everything we do.
  Although Paul’s background is in General             We must focus on those core projects that
Management, during his time in Fingal County         support us in delivering this aim, projects that
Council he worked closely with Community             are delivering the highest quality patient care.
Health Organisations and Primary Care Centres          We need to continue to seek feedback from our
on community initiatives and planning projects.      patients and take action in the areas where we
In 2017, Paul was asked by former Minister           can improve.
                                                                                                                   We can only provide
of State for Mental Health and Older People,           2. Transitioning to a new model of integrated              the highest quality
Helen McEntee to be Vice Chair of the National       care
Task Force on Youth Mental Health. Paul is           Our health service could not function without
                                                                                                           care by working together
currently a member of the Advisory Council on        our dedicated and professional staff who provide      across all areas from acute
Sláintecare, working closely with Laura Magahy       care to patients and service users. We can only
on the implementation plan. Paul is delighted to     provide the highest quality care by working
                                                                                                           to primary care to our
be taking over the helm of the HSE.                  together across all areas from acute to primary       support services
  “I am a passionate public servant and am           care to our support services.
delighted to now be working in a health service        We must strive to ensure that the valued work
with such a diverse group of staff, professionals    our staff do is cherished, and we should proudly      As DG, what do you want for
and managers. I am very much looking forward         tell everyone about it.                               our HSE staff?
to working with you all to build on the great          We must tell our stakeholders and the public        I have read carefully the results of the HSE
work already happening to deliver a good             about all of the good work we do. We need to          staff surveys and only 51pc of staff who
quality service to our patients and service          take every opportunity to show the positives of       completed the Your Opinion Counts Survey
users.”                                              our health service. In doing this we can work to      2018 are optimistic about their future within
  Health Matters sat down with Paul to get to        improve and change the issues that need our           the organisation. Only 37pc feel there are
know more about him and talk about his future        attention. Through this process we will build         opportunities for career progression. And whilst
hopes and vision for the HSE.                        public and stakeholder confidence in the HSE’s        both metrics have improved since 2016 I want
                                                     ability to manage the health service well.            them to improve further. It’s not acceptable to
What is the most important                             3. Building confidence to invest in our future      me that staff feel this level of pessimism about
objective for you coming into                        We have an immediate priority to stabilise our        their future in our health service. We need to do
your new role?                                       finances and focus on eliminating wasteful costs.     better at looking after our staff.
That patients and service users experience             This will involve:                                    I want to ensure that we strongly value
quality care when they interact with our health        • strengthening our financial controls right        and cherish the huge commitment of our
service. This has to be central to all that we do;   across the organisation,                              staff to deliver a good quality health service.
otherwise we’re failing people at a very basic         • agreeing our priorities, and                      And we must broadcast this message to the
level. Throughout my career, providing a quality       • demonstrating good value for money.               stakeholders and public that we serve.
service to the public has always been my focus                                                               If we value the role that everyone who works
and that won’t change. By prioritising initiatives     By stabilising our finances we will build the       in the HSE plays, we will remain focused on our
that improve patient care and safety, values our     confidence of our key stakeholders and make           objectives and ensure that we build the trust and
staff, and gets value for money, we will have a      a stronger case for further investment in the         confidence of our key stakeholders including the
health service we can be proud of.                   Sláintecare reform plan.                              public, government and staff.

     health matters summer 2019
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
Clockwise from main pic: Paul Reid chats with Roisin Guiry, HSE
                                                                            Communications Division, in the the Dementia: Understand Together campaign’s
                                                                            ‘Memories are Made of This’ 1950s-themed show garden at Bloom; the new
                                                                            Director General on his visit to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny to review patient
                                                                            feedback and experiences from the National Patient Experience Survey with HIQA
                                                                            CEO Phelim Quinn.

What are the biggest                                foundation of integrated care. It will drive        I’m in work mode I give it all of my attention
challenges we face as an                            efficiencies across the system that will            and when I’m at home I do the same. I‘m
organisation?                                       improve our patient experience. Our Ehealth         married and have two grown up children
I believe the biggest challenge we face is          strategy and Digital Roadmap are key to the         so I understand the challenge for parents
the shortage of suitably qualified health           implementation of our future requirements           trying to give enough attention to both work
care workers, and this is a global issue. The       in this area.                                       and family life. Unfortunately we tend to
World Health Organisation estimates that                                                                sacrifice family time for work but finding a
the global shortage will reach 18 million by        What one thing has                                  balance between both is hugely important.
2030. This is staggering.                           impressed you the most
  We need to invest in our workforce to             about the HSE since taking up Can you tell us something
safeguard our future. We can begin this by          your role?                                   about yourself? what are
retaining our current workforce, keeping our        What has impressed me the most is our        your interests, hobbies
healthcare graduates here, and attracting           staff’s commitment to deliver quality health outside of work?
our graduates abroad back to work in the            services. Since taking on this role I have          Well from Monday to Friday I stay in Dublin
Irish health service. We can only achieve           visited services across the country and it’s so     and then as soon as the weekend hits I head
this by making the HSE a great employer.            evident to me the level of dedication and ‘can      to Leitrim. So that transition is a big part of
An employer that values and cares for staff,        do’ attitude staff have. I had some exposure        switching from work to family mode for me.
will have engaged staff. Engaged staff feel         to this being a member of the Advisory                I love golf, although my handicap may not
a profound connection to their work and             Council for Sláintecare but I didn’t grasp the      demonstrate this!
organisation; they drive innovation and will        full extent of the professionalism and range
move the organisation forward. We can’t             of skills we have on the ground.                    Any final thoughts
ignore staff retention issues, staff are vital to                                                       Other than to say I am really looking forward
the future reform of our health service.            Work/life balance is                                to getting out and about. I will be visiting
                                                    important for our health                            services across the country and meeting as
What role do you see                                and well-being – how do you                         many staff as I possibly can over the coming
technology playing in the                           manage stress and balance                           weeks, and I welcome any input from staff
reform our health service?                          work and family priorities?                         on how we can do better and keep improving.
Technology is vital to the reform of our            I am a big supporter of work/life balance,          I will keep staff updated on our progress
health service. Investing in it is crucial          it’s so important in this age of Smart              regularly through the monthly DG message
otherwise we will be running to stand still         technology and the 24hr news cycle. I               and other channels.
and the quality of patient care will suffer.        manage stress by keeping everything                   And finally, I can promise that I will work
  Projects like the Electronic Health Record        in perspective as much as I can, and by             hard on behalf of staff to reform our health
(EHR) will allow us to increase capacity            making a conscious effort to give my best           service and make it something that we all
in an already creaking system. EHR is the           to whatever role I’m in at the time. So when        can truly be proud of.

                                                                                                                  2019 summer health matters              
Dementia garDen in full bloom - HSE
You
    Section

In terna tio na l Da y of the Mid wi fe
‘It’s all about supporting
women and their choices’
                  idwives from all over the world

  M
                  have celebrated International
                  Day of the Midwife on May 5th
                  since 1991.
                    To celebrate the day, midwives
from Cork University Hospital (CUMH), South
Tipperary General Hospital (STGH), University
Hospital Kerry (UHK) and University Hospital
Waterford (UHW) have shared their experiences
of the profession.
   The aim was to raise the profile of the
                                                         Brid Galvin, UHW.          Carmel Byrne, STGH.          Chloe Ferriter, UHK.        Margaret Higgins, CUMH.
midwifery profession by featuring real midwives
talking about the profession in a positive light.
All four maternity units are part of the Maternity
Directorate of the South/South West Hospital
Group (SSWHG).
   Margaret Lyster, Clinical Midwife Manager
at UHW, said, “It’s the diversity of midwifery,
in terms of the role and people you meet, that
I love. As many of our couples are non-Irish
nationals with a language barrier and no family
here, it is very fulfilling to offer them the care and
support they need in their journey of childbirth.
   “You are meeting women at a very vulnerable           Margaret Lyster, UHW.      Marie Walsh, STGH.           Norma Kissane, UHK.         Ruth Evans, CUMH.
time and it’s all about supporting them and
facilitating their choices where possible. It’s          working as a midwife 30 years on.                       before, during and after delivery. It’s a privilege to
rewarding to know you’ve done a great job                  “I love the variety and continuity of care. In        be part of such a special event in a woman’s life.
through the ongoing gratitude and recognition            a relatively small maternity unit like South            In Kerry these women are often our neighbours
you receive.”                                            Tipperary General Hospital, you get to work             and friends, our future, we must support and
   Ruth Evans, Neonatal Manger, CUMH, has been           with women across our antenatal, labour and             empower them to have a positive, safe, high-
working with premature babies for over 25 years.         postnatal wards. Educating and advocating for           quality experience in our unit in Tralee,” she said.
   “The best part of the job is saying goodbye to        women is so important. Our antenatal classes can          Brid Galvin, staff midwife, UHW, explained, “I
a ‘preemie’ who has thrived under the care of            be very empowering for first-time parents.”             love the autonomy of the role and being able to
our unit. Their time in intensive care is difficult        Chloe Ferriter, newly qualified midwife at            offer women your knowledge and support during
and when they leave, there’s still another two or        University Hospital Kerry, said, “Helping people        a very vulnerable time.
three months of work to get them independent,            is important to me and one of the main reasons I          “For me the best part is seeing new life come
off oxygen and feeding properly. There’s a sense         became a midwife.                                       into the world – it’s such a privilege. While it can
of pride when they leave and you know you’ve               “It’s amazing being part of a real happiness          be very challenging, it’s also very rewarding to
done a good job.”                                        that is unique to women. It’s rewarding to build        see a women through pregnancy and birth and to
   Carmel Byrne, lactation consultant, South             a special, trusting relationship with each woman        have a safe, happy mother and baby at the end.”
Tipperary General Hospital, said, “I have always         while creating a warm and calm environment                Margaret Higgins, Domino midwife, CUMH,
been interested in promoting, protecting and             for the baby to be delivered in. The best part is       cares for low-risk women during pregnancy, birth
supporting breastfeeding. I was inspired to              empowering women, being their advocate to               and the post-natal period ensuring continuity of
specialise in breastfeeding after my time                facilitate a safe birth and witnessing the change       care and, above all, choice for each woman.
working in Australia where breastfeeding rates           from a woman or couple to a family unit. As a             “Through education and support, we give
are high at approximately 95pc. I have witnessed         midwife, I feel very privileged to be a part of the     women the skills and confidence to have a
first-hand the many benefits of breastfeeding            birthing experience for each woman I support.”          natural birth and an early transfer home, where
to families, society and the environment.                  Norma Kissane, Clinical Midwife Manager, at           we continue our support. It’s hugely rewarding to
If a woman chooses to breastfeed, I find it              UHK, has worked as a midwife for over 28 years.         facilitate and empower a woman’s choice.
very fulfilling to help her achieve that goal.             “I originally trained as a general nurse and            “As you journey with them through pregnancy
Breastfeeding is a learned skill, which some             decided to further qualify as a midwife due to the      and birth, you develop a special rapport with
mothers and babies find challenging. However,            passion I had for women’s healthcare. I wanted to       each and every one.
with appropriate assistance and support, most of         make a difference with my skills and experience,          “It’s wonderful to welcome many of them back
these challenges can be overcome.”                       to keep our mothers safe and give babies the            for their second and third babies through the
   Marie Walsh, Clinical Midwife Manager, South          best start in life possible. For me, the best part is   DOMINO scheme here at CUMH. It’s something
Tipperary General Hospital, said she still loves         the positive nature of the job, caring for women        to be very proud of.”

 10 health matters summer 2019
3,000 more pa rti cip an ts in 2019
Steps to Health
challenge in full swing
               his year’s Steps to Health             assessments to staff taking part in the                 co-ordinators containing your step counters,

   T
               challenge is in full swing at          Challenge. Perhaps five weeks won’t make                participant and co-ordinator guides, posters
               present. Now in its third year,        a huge difference to your health facts and              and badges. So a huge thanks is due to those
               we have 9,400 staff members            figures but it will benefit you if you continue         staff pictured here.
               taking part. That’s 3,000 more         on after the five weeks, turning it into a                And of course it wouldn’t happen without
participants stepping out daily than we had           full time habit alongside eating healthier.             our team co-ordinators who register all of
last year.                                            Perhaps we could tempt the staff in                     you, and keep you inspired and motivated
  Apart from walking with colleagues and              Monaghan to continue it until the year end              throughout the challenge. So a big shout
family and friends, staff have also been              and check the results then?                             out to your team co-ordinator and you can
organising many other activities during the             Peter Dineen, our staff blogger, has                  nominate them for a prize at the end of this
Challenge to build awareness and increase             given us a smile or two as he takes to the              year’s challenge. Watch our newsletter for
physical activity as well as healthy eating.          highways and byways in Cork striving to                 more details before the end of the Challenge.
More importantly, staff are also telling us of        avoid dogs and melting from his exertions!
the fun they are having and the new friendships       If you have missed it, check out our website
that are being made at work. All of this is very      www.hse.ie/stepschallenge
important to create a happy and                             Behind the scenes every year, we have             From left to right: Meagan Hanley, Healthy
                                                                                                              Eating Active Living Programme; Muiriosa Ryan, Social
healthy working environment                                   some very busy elves in our Steps
                                                                                                              Media & Digital Analytics Lead; Agatha Lawless,
as well as looking after our                                    project team who registered                   Project Manager, Healthy Eating & Active Living
mental health.                                                   over 660 teams, organised the                Programme; Edel McNamara, Senior Community
  Staff in the                                                    email broadcasts, newsletters,              Dietitian; Clodagh Armitage, Physical Activity Co-
                                                                                                              Ordinator; Caroline Murray, Health Promotion Officer;
physiotherapy department                                           competitions and our website.
                                                                                                              Norma Deasy, Campaign Manager, Communications.
at Monaghan Hospital                                                 They also sent out the                   Missing from photo Adrienne Lynam, Project Manager,
kindly offered free health                                            Challenge packs to our team             Staff Health & Wellbeing.

  Golden celebrations in community nursing unit
  Tommie Walsh and his dear wife Annie celebrated their 50th wedding              have two daughters, Mary and Florence, and many grandchildren who
  anniversary in Plunkett Community Nursing Unit, Boyle, Co Roscommon             come to see their granny!
  recently, surrounded by their family, friends and staff from the Nursing Unit    Annie came to Plunkett CNU in February 2018 and has since enjoyed
  where Annie lives.                                                              living in a community of friends and staff. She enjoys knitting, chatting
    Annie grew up in Cartron, Lough Allen, Co Roscommon and attended              to other ladies from the Boyle area and is visited daily by her family and
  Cartron National School. Annie was good at needlework in school and             friends. Annie finds Plunkett Community Nursing Unit friendly and helpful.
  enjoyed dress-making, farming and house-keeping in her earlier years.            Her family comment that her mobility has improved considerably since
    Tommie and Annie, met in the Mayflower dance hall, Drumshambo,                she has come to live in Plunkett CNU. Florence Walsh said, “Thanks to
  Co Leitrim which was a popular place to socialise at the time. They were        all the staff In Plunkett Community Nursing Unit who helped make our
  married in Arigna Church and lived in Tullytawan, Ballyfarnon. The couple       afternoon special. As always doing a fantastic job.”

                                                                                                                        2019 summer health matters             11
You
   Section

Mas ter athlete pu ts in the ha rd w ork
Bernie pride of the coombe
                ernie White is the super-

   B
                efficient supervisor of the
                Coombe Women & Infants
                University Hospital’s
                Administration Office. She’s also
one of Ireland’s Master athletes with more
medals and awards than her mantelpiece can
accommodate.
  “I was brought up eating and drinking
athletics. My whole family have been involved
in sports ever since I can remember and
from an early age I was encouraged to take
up athletics. As a child I was taking part in
track and cross country events and always
featured in the top six in the Dublin Juvenile
Championships,” said Bernie.
  “Definitely I’m driven and always have been.
What you see is what you get whether it’s in
sport or work. I’m a very straight talker and a
very pragmatic person. I just get on with things.”
  Getting on with things is Bernie’s trademark.
In her more than 20 years working in the
Coombe, Bernie has faced her fair share of
trials and tribulations. A work accident left her
with a permanent back injury and stopped her
running for five years, breast cancer came and
was beaten, and plenty of injuries along the
way have left their marks from competing in
Irish and European Championships.
  Bernie is one of nine children in a very close
knit family and she was born in Dublin in 1965.
Her athletic career has been inspired and
helped by her close friendship with her coach
Emily Dowling, one of Ireland’s best known
athletes. Emily was the person who did much
to help Bernie develop self-belief and self-
confidence. As she waited at the starting line
for every competition, Bernie would chant to
herself, ‘If you believe you can do something, it
will come easily.’
  And it did. Travelling to countries including
Denmark, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Germany,
Finland and England, Bernie has notched
up scores of medals and made many
friends. She believes her finest achievement
is her performance in the 800 metres in
the European Outdoor Championships in                  In her early years as a Master athlete,          currently a coach with the Dublin Striders
Denmark in 2004 where she ran her personal           Bernie’s weekends and much of her annual           Club and she now enjoys coaching girls and
best of 2 minutes, 18 seconds and point 72 of        leave was spent taking part in national            boys from Under 10 and Under 19 up to junior
a second. Heartbreakingly, she came fourth,          competitions across the country. The 800           level in track and field and cross country. The
having been robbed of third place – and a            metres is her favourite distance but she           organising skills she displays in her job in
medal - by a GB runner who shaved in ahead           has regularly competed in 400m, 1500m              the Coombe were particularly useful in 2011
by just 200th of a second!!                          and 3000m. Medals are, of course, a good           when Bernie effortlessly put together a week
  But revenge is sweet and just two years            outcome of any competition and back in 2007,       long sports activity camp for youngsters
later, Bernie was able to reverse the positions      she arrived home from Nenagh one day with          aged 8-12 which was booked out almost
and put the same runner into fourth place            a number of silvers for the 800m and 3000m         immediately by grateful parents!
while she picked up the bronze medal in              and a gold for the 1500m.                            Bernie’s big competition days may be
another 800 metres competition in Poland in a          In more recent years, injury and surgery         a distant memory but the training never
time of 2.20.04.                                     has led to a different shift in focus. Bernie is   finishes. She’s out and about doing speed

 12 health matters summer 2019
Roscommon appoints
                                                 Ireland’s first
                                                 specialist skin
                                                 cancer nurse
                                                 Bernadette Finneran, born in Manchester
                                                 and living in County Roscommon for the last
                                                 30 years has been appointed as a Registered
                                                 Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP) in
                                                 Plastic Surgery at Roscommon University
                                                 Hospital (RUH).
                                                  Bernadette is the first RANP specialising in
                                                 skin cancer in Ireland and is only one of three
                                                 RANP posts in Plastic Surgery nationally.
                                                 RANPs are the highest level of clinical
                                                 experts in the nursing profession in Ireland
                                                 today. She has over 20 years of nursing and
                                                 surgical experience behind her.
                                                  Bernadette began the journey to advanced
                                                 practice by completing an advanced
                                                 dermatology course in King’s College
                                                 London in 2014. She then completed a two-
                                                 year post graduate medicine programme                     Being a RANP
                                                 in Clinical Dermatology and obtained a
                                                 first-class honours Master’s Degree. She then
                                                                                                           allows me to
                                                 undertook a higher diploma in Advanced            develop as an independent
                                                 Practice with prescribing and was awarded
                                                 first-class honours.
                                                                                                   autonomous practitioner
                                                  Bernadette’s role involves the assessment,       and strive for continuous
                                                 diagnosis and treatment of pre-malignant
                                                 and malignant skin lesions. She is fully
                                                                                                   improvement and
                                                 trained in dermoscopy, an invaluable tool         excellence in practice
                                                 in the assessment of skin lesions which
                                                 enhances accuracy of diagnosis with
                                                 increased sensitivity and specificity for the     and early intervention and diagnosis offers
                                                 detection of early melanoma. Bernadette           optimal care for the patient. Bernadette
                                                 gained invaluable experience in pursuing          recognises that prevention is far better
                                                 her specialised field in the UK and Austria to    than cure and takes an active role in health
                                                 ensure that optimum safe care is delivered        promotion strategies. She introduced annual
                                                 to the patients she cares for. During her time    Safe Sun Awareness Days for staff and
                                                 in the UK, Bernadette also trained in areola      members of the public and worked with Club
                                                 micropigmentation - a specialised technique       Rossie and the Roscommon senior football
                                                 which essentially signifies the end of a long     team to raise skin cancer awareness with
                                                 road for breast reconstructive patients by        children last summer.
                                                 recreating a three-dimensional artificial          Deirdre Jones, consultant plastic and
                                                 nipple. This allows these patients to feel        reconstructive surgeon at RUH, said, “I am
                                                 whole again and signifies the end of their        very supportive of the development of the
                                                 cancer journey.                                   RANP role and of its potential to improve
                                                  “Being a RANP allows me to develop as            access to care for patients with skin cancer.
                                                 an independent autonomous practitioner            RANPs require the best available clinical
sessions a couple of evenings a week, when       and strive for continuous improvement and         and academic training to allow them to
she’s not coaching her beloved juveniles. Even   excellence in practice. I am qualified to         practice autonomously. Bernadette sought
in winter, there’s no let up and Bernie can be   assess and examine skin lesions, diagnose         out an excellent course of study in the UK
found pounding the streets close to home on      and prescribe treatments, perform excisional      and showed enormous commitment and
dark, wet evenings.                              skin biopsy and wound closure and provide         dedication to graduate at the top of her
  To Bernie, this is all about running for       discharge and health promotion advice. All        Master’s Programme. She, along with our other
pleasure and to keep herself fit. And yes,       of this is under the clinical governance of       RANPs in Plastic Surgery, Amanda O’Halloran
to get back into top form and possibly give      Deirdre Jones, who is an inspirational mentor     and Deirdre Conlon, makes a massive
those competitions another go if her injuries    always striving for and achieving clinical        contribution to our service in Roscommon
allow her. Her colleagues in the Coombe are      excellence and I feel very privileged to be a     University Hospital and this involvement is set
incredibly proud of Bernie’s achievements and    member of her team,” explained Bernadette.        to increase with the introduction of RANP-led
are keeping their fingers crossed that the day    The incidence of skin cancer is increasing       clinics and Photo Triage.”
arrives when new medals will adorn her neck.

                                                                                                             2019 summer health matters 13
You
   Section

Ea mo nn co m pleted the six ‘majo rs’
paramedic gives
marathon medal
to boy he saved
                 t is not often that you win
                                                              He has been a great
     I
                 a prestigious prize and then
                 immediately give it away. But for            little fighter and it
                 Six Star marathon medal winner
                 Eamonn Baxter, he could think
                                                      was thinking of him that got
of only one person that he wanted to have that        me around the course,
very special award.
   56-year-old Eamonn has been a paramedic
                                                      I wasn’t letting him down
with the HSE for the past 22 years, based out
of the University Hospital Galway.                    overweight and his blood pressure was high.
   Three and a half years ago, he saved Jonah           “The reason I took up running back in 2011
Murphy’s life when the tiny baby went into            was that I was overweight at over 90kg and
cardiac arrest aged just seven weeks. This            my blood pressure was raised. I bought a
July, he will be celebrating his fourth birthday      cross trainer and a treadmill and started
thanks to Eamonn’s interventions.                     walking quickly on it and over time I started
   Eamonn visited Jonah and his family to hand        to jog and then run. My weight has dropped to
over the very special early birthday present          72kg and my BP has also dropped,” he said.
when he returned to Ireland having completed            “My first 5k was the Darkness into Light
the Tokyo Marathon in Japan.                          and then I worked up to 8k and then just kept
   By crossing the finish line in Tokyo in March,     going, I suppose.”
Eamonn earned himself the unique Six Star               Eamonn’s gruelling training regime also has
marathon medal. Tokyo was his final world             a unique twist – he does it all on his treadmill.
marathon ‘major’, after previously completing           “I know most people would be horrified to
the 26.2 mile courses in London, Berlin,              have to do all their running on a treadmill. But
New York, Boston and Chicago. The medal is            I suppose I don’t know any other way. When I
awarded to participants who have completed            took up the running, I used the treadmill all the
all six of the major marathons.                       time and it just became second nature,” he said.
   There are only 92 of these medals in Ireland         “When I started back in 2011, I could barely      you have to respect the heat. The humidity
and just under 5,000 worldwide before the             break into a jog. So I used the treadmill to        there was a big challenge, as it saps your
London Marathon last month.                           try to build up my strength and stamina. I          energy. It was my slowest of the six, coming
   “A friend had told me about the six majors.        eventually got fitter and fitter and it became      over the line at four hours and eight minutes.
I had done Berlin at that stage and had               much easier. Working the shift work of 10-12          “London is great but very congested,
qualified for Boston. So that was two done and        hours as I do as a paramedic, it is much easier     whereas Berlin is a lovely flat course. There
then I had the other four kind of in my sights.       to walk in the door at any hour of the day or       was one part of it where there was a road
I thought it would be a great thing to aim for.       night and just hop on the treadmill. I followed     with a big cathedral at the end of it and you
And always in the back of my mind was the             my training plan around my work schedule            could have sworn you were running down the
little lad Jonah,” explained Eamonn.                  thanks to my trusty treadmill.”                     University Road in Galway,” he laughed.
   “I really wanted to do it for him. I didn’t want     The training and running events also give           He finished Berlin in a fine time of 3.29:53.
to tell him or his parents about it in case I let     Eamonn an outlet to distress and switch off           The unique medal win wasn’t the end of
them down by not getting them all done. But           from work.                                          the marathon effort for Eamonn. He recently
once I had just Tokyo to go, I approached his           “The life of a paramedic can be very tough so     completed his 25th marathon in Limerick
mum and dad and asked if they were okay               it can be great to come home and get on the         – where he started it all at his first marathon
with me running it for Jonah and wearing his          treadmill. It immediately clears the mind and       back in 2013.
picture on my t-shirt. They were delighted.           makes sure I’m not thinking about work,” said         “It was exactly six years to the day that I ran
   “After I came home, I dropped by the house         the Galway paramedic.                               my first marathon so I thought that I better
for a visit to give Jonah my medal. He was              He said it was tough to choose which of the       not skip it!”
thrilled with it – and wasn’t letting go. He has      big six was his favourite.                            Running 26.2 miles doesn’t get easier but
been a great little fighter and it was thinking         “In all my marathons, Japan was my first          Eamonn has his own way of making sure he
of him that got me around the course. I wasn’t        wet one which is mad considering how many I         doesn’t hit the famous ‘wall’ at 20 miles.
letting him down.”                                    have done back home here in Ireland without           “Those last six miles are all about mental
   What is even more amazing about Eamonn’s           any rain. In New York, it is an iconic course but   strength. In fact, I usually look forward to
achievement is the fact that he only started          there’s a lot of waiting around beforehand.         those last six miles. I just break it down into
running back in 2011 because he was                   Boston is a very tough and hilly course and         smaller races. Six miles is just a 10k like

 14 health matters summer 2019
the first one I did in Clifden. Then when I’ve
another mile done, I think ‘ah sure this is just
the 8k Streets of Galway run.’ If I think about
it like that, then it’s much easier to manage.
Once you get half way round then you know
you have more behind you than you have in
front of you.”

TOP AND ABOVE RIGHT: Eamonn Baxter with his
Six Majors medal which he was awarded recently
after he completed the Tokyo Marathon. ABOVE:
Eamonn with Jonah Murphy and the special medal
that he handed over to Jonah to keep.

                                                   2019 summer health matters 15
You
 Section
                                                                 TRANSPLANT

                                                                                                           ‘without my
                                                                                                           not be able
                                                                                                                        s a paramedic Jason

                                                                                                            A
                                                                                                                        McKenna is used to being a
                                                                                                                        lifesaver. But, according to the
                                                                                                                        Monaghan man, every single
                                                                                                                        person has the potential to
                                                                                                         save multiple lives if they agree to become
                                                                                                         an organ donor.
                                                                                                           13 years ago, Jason himself received the
                                                                                                         gift of life when he had a kidney transplant.
                                                                                                           In expressing his gratitude to his donor,
                                                                                                         Jason, who is now 40 years old, said, “Organ
                                                                                                         donation can mean different things to
                                                                                                         different people. As a transplant recipient, to
                                                                                                         me organ donation means an extended and
                                                                                                         normal life and being able to enjoy things
                                                                                                         that people take for granted. It also means
                                                                                                         the freedom to travel, to feel healthy and to
                                                                                                         make decisions without the constraints that
                                                                                                         constant medical care apply.
                                                                                                           “Without my transplant I could not have
                                                                                                         the life that everyone takes as the norm,
                                                                                                         nor would I have been able to pursue my
                                                                                                         career in pre-hospital care and commit to
                                                                                                         the level of education I have achieved.
                                                                                                           “I would not have the energy that my four-
                                                                                                         year-old daughter expects from me and it’s
                                                                                                         her energy that reminds me every day how
                                                                                                         life-changing, and how life-saving organ
                                                                                                         donation really is.”
                                                                                                           Jason attended the national launch of
                                                                                                         Organ Donor Awareness Week 2019, by
                                                                                                         the Minister for Health, Simon Harris,
                                                                                                         which was held at the Mansion House in
                                                                                                         Dublin. The annual campaign, which took
                                                                                                         place from March 30th until April 6th, is
                                                                                                         organised by the Irish Kidney Association

new stamp will create more public awareness about organ donation
An Post has issued a special national postage        can happen. Carrying an organ donor card is         organ donation. When the stamp is scanned
stamp highlighting the importance of organ           another clear sign, as is having this information   by a smart device with the Cee App installed,
donation to the lives of people living in Ireland.   included on your driver’s licence.                  users will be redirected to the www.hse.
 One of Ireland’s longest surviving heart              Prof Jim Egan, Director HSE, ODTI, said,          ie/organ-donation web page.
donor recipients, An Post staff member, Andy         “I’d like to thank An Post for the creation of        Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland
Kavanagh and double lung transplant recipient,       this special stamp. It will create more public      (ODTI) was established to provide governance,
David Crosby, who is preparing to run his third      awareness about organ donation. It is only          integration and leadership for Organ Donation
full marathon in honour of his donor, were at        because of the generosity of the Irish public       and Transplantation in Ireland. The Office is
the GPO, Dublin to launch the special stamp.         that patients can receive the life-saving           dedicated to saving and improving lives by
  An Post is joining with the HSE’s Organ            treatment of an organ transplant. Our message       improving organ donation rates in Ireland.
Donation Transplant Ireland (ODTI) to ask the        is simple: Organ Donation Saves Lives.”
Irish public to talk with family about their wish     Designed by Zero-G, the stamp and first day
to be an organ donor #havethatconversation.          cover feature an hourglass timer to represent
                                                                                                         Jsaon McKenna, Advanced Paramedic, NAS, with
Talking to family about being an organ donor is      the precious nature of time and the gift of life    Pat Smith, Operations Resource Manager, NAS, at
the most important step in ensuring your wish        passing from one person to another through          the organ donation stamp launch at the GPO.

16 health matters summer 2019
TRANSPLANT

y transplant I would
 to live a normal life’
           Without my                               Emergency Department of the Beaumont
                                                    Hospital where he was connected to a
                                                                                                        considered for living donation, although he
                                                                                                        was initially hesitant about putting them
           transplant I could                       dialysis machine. He spent almost three             through it. Eventually he came around to

   not have the life that                           weeks in Dublin and by coincidence was
                                                    discharged on the same day he had
                                                                                                        the idea but in January 2006 he hit another
                                                                                                        health setback and ended up back in
   everyone takes as the                            originally booked his flight to visit home to       hospital.

   norm, nor would I have                           celebrate the new Millennium.
                                                      After nine months of dialysis at Cavan
                                                                                                          It was soon after this that another
                                                                                                        donor kidney became available. He was
   been able to pursue my                           General Hospital, he got news that a donor          successfully transplanted in April 2006.

   career in pre-hospital                           kidney had become available. Unfortunately,
                                                    the transplant was not successful and
                                                                                                          Jason finally decided to tell his story after
                                                                                                        seeing an appeal on the Facebook to coincide
   care and commit to the                           failed almost straight away. Complications          with Organ Donor Awareness Week.

   level of education I have                        left Jason in a critical condition and it was
                                                    thought that he might not pull through.
                                                                                                          “It is such an important thing for
                                                                                                        somebody to do. Organ donation is literally
   achieved                                           Jason thankfully recovered and he                 lifesaving. Your donation could help a
                                                    remained positive while waiting for a second        number of people, save or transform their
                                                    donor kidney to become available.                   lives. I would encourage anyone who is
   (IKA) and supported by the Organ Donation          “I think I was able to stay positive through      unsure about whether or not to become an
   Transplant Ireland (ODTI).                       it all because I had youth on my side. I was        organ donor to check out the Irish Kidney
     The focus of Organ Donor Awareness             in my 20s and although I was going through          Association website or Facebook page to
   Week is to remind individuals to talk to their   dialysis, I still felt energetic. I met plenty of   read the stories of people who, like myself,
   families about their organ donation wishes       people in their 50s and 60s doing dialysis          have had transplants, and family members
   and keep the reminders of their decision         too who weren’t able to do the things that          who donated their loved ones’ organs. It
   available by carrying the organ donor card       other people their age were doing. But I            certainly puts it into perspective,” he said.
   permitting Code 115 to be included on their      was working full-time, doing nights at a              Jason, who works with the National
   driver’s licence and having the ‘digital organ   security company while I got my dialysis            Ambulance Station and is stationed at
   donor card’ APP on their smartphone.             during the day. I was able to have a normal         Castleblayney statiom, said he enjoys the
     In December 1999, as a 20-year-old living      life. And sure for me, kidney problems and          fact that he gets to help many people every
   in New York, Jason’s kidney began to fail        hospitals were normal for me. My kidney             day at work.
   and he was told he would have to go on           issues started when I was six months old so           “I spent so much time in hospital when I
   dialysis immediately. He had been working        I always had to work my life around those           was younger that I always said that I might
   illegally in the US on building sites so could   hospital visits and stays. It was all normal        as well stay there! I really love my job,
   not afford the medical care there and took       for me,” he said.                                   every day is completely different,” he said.
   the next available flight home.                    Jason went back on dialysis for another             Jason’s interest in pre-hospital care
     When his plane touched down at                 five-and-a-half years. By 2005 his family           was sparked in 2005 by a friend who was
   Dublin Airport, Jason was rushed to the          members had started the process of being            pursuing it as a career.
                                                                                                          “I did a first responder course. Then
                                                                                                        I got a part-time position driving for a
                                                                                                        private ambulance company. Then I did
                                                                                                        my Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
                                                                                                        training in 2007 and joined the National
                                                                                                        Ambulance Service in 2011,” he explained.
                                                                                                          Having worked as a paramedic for
                                                                                                        several years, he continued his studies
                                                                                                        in the University of Limerick and then
                                                                                                        onto University College Dublin where
                                                                                                        he completed the Advanced Paramedic
                                                                                                        programme in 2018. Coincidently, one of his
                                                                                                        jobs was working with Lifeline Ambulance
                                                                                                        Service which transports transplant teams
                                                                                                        and coordinators around the country. He
                                                                                                        has also brought patients to Dublin for
                                                                                                        heart and lung transplants.
                                                                                                          13 years on, Jason said he still
                                                                                                        appreciates how lucky he was to get a
                                                                                                        second chance at life thanks to his donor.

                                                                                                                 2019 summer health matters 17
You
   Section
                                                                     TRANSPLANT

Gordon Ryan, who
works in the Digital
department of the HSE
Communications Division,
tells the story of the
double-lung transplant
that saved his life

‘Life on the
transplant list
was survival
mode and
uncertainty’
In July 2013 I received a life-saving double          transplants in 2006 and I was first assessed              the call that suitable lungs were available and
lung transplant. This was because of the              for transplant there in September 2008. I felt            the operation went ahead.
genetic condition Cystic Fibrosis (CF) which I        there was a better chance of getting it at the              Since my transplant, life has transformed.
battled for many years. Though diagnosed as           time in Newcastle where Irish CF patients were            Simple things matter most like being able to
a baby, I remained quite well until my early          previously transplanted. The option to go on              breathe again and hop on a bike. I was able to
twenties. Unlike many others with the condition,      either list was there until the Dublin unit found         fly for the first time in six years and visited New
I experienced a very normal hospital-free             its feet, but you could only go on one list.              York. I completed a Diploma in Radio Production
childhood and adolescence.                              Life on the transplant list was survival mode           and worked with local radio before taking on
   This all changed radically for the worse just as   and uncertainty. Keeping going was all that               a Masters in Journalism and freelancing as a
I was finishing University in 2002. I found myself    counted. Time was the biggest enemy because               researcher with TV3 for a while.
on the flat of my back in Vincent’s University        you did not know how much of it you had left.               Last year, I applied for a communications
Hospital (CF center) with a severe lung infection.    The doctors only advise people to go on the               position through the HSE’s Gradlink program and
That initial six-week admission was a steep           transplant list when they believe you’ll live             got accepted. I now work on the Digital Content
learning curve in the realities of CF. It meant       longer with a transplant than without it.                 team within the Digital Division and it has been a
heavy duty intravenous antibiotic treatment,            People used to ask me, ‘When will you get your          hugely positive experience. There is a lot to learn
daily airway clearance (physiotherapy technique)      transplant?’ The answer was you were living in            in digital. We design and publish accurate and
to clear the sputum clogging the airways in the       hope and might never get it. I saw good friends           accessible health information for the public on
lungs, increase in daily medications and nebs,        of mine pass away before they ever got onto               the new website HSE.ie.
learning about resistant bugs and to top it off a     the list, several died on the list waiting for lungs        Recently my manager involved me on a new
diagnosis of CF-related diabetes!                     that never came. They were amazing people in              project about organ donation. We met with
   I had to catch up fast and come to terms with      their twenties and thirties, full of life, personality,   Organ Donor Transplant Ireland (ODTI) to plan
a serious illness which others were coping with       hopes and dreams to whom life randomly dealt a            how we develop our content. Who arrived into
since childhood. Thus began the merry go round        very lousy card.                                          the meeting, none other than my lung transplant
of endless hospital admissions. It was difficult        I was placed on the Newcastle list on June 1st          consultant Professor Jim Egan, who now heads
adjusting to living with CF when all I wanted to      2010. At this stage, life was merely an existence.        up ODTI. The look on his face was priceless! He
do was forget about it and get on with life like my   When not in the hospital, I was striving to keep          looked after me for several years throughout
peers in their mid to late twenties were doing.       myself well and out of it. By 2012 I was fully            my transplant journey and now here we found
   For a few years, I played it down, pretending to   oxygen dependent and my final lung function               ourselves in a work meeting together. It was a
myself and others everything was fine but the         test read 12pc.                                           surreal moment.
repeated lung infections and hospital visits were       I returned to Vincent’s hospital for the last time        The gift of organ donation never ceases to
intruding more. My attitude towards it eventually     in February 2013 by which stage I couldn’t even           amaze and I would strongly urge everybody to
changed when an experienced nurse said to me,         get upstairs and breathing was impossible. A              sign up. I cannot conclude without mentioning
‘For you CF guys it’s not about getting better,       bi-pap (non-invasive ventilator) strapped around          the hero of my story - my donor. A young man
it’s about keeping well.’ That insight definitely     my head did the work of my lungs and I was                in his early thirties who died accidentally, he
proved a turning point as it helped me accept my      confined to my hospital bed hoping for a miracle.         and his family’s selfless act of generosity saved
long-term situation and control what I could by         Having reached the point where I’d lost faith           and transformed my life. I am eternally grateful
looking after myself better.                          with Newcastle, I switched over to the Irish list at      to them and strive to make the most of the
   The Mater began performing CF lung                 the eleventh hour that July. One week later I got         opportunity given to me, in his honour.

 18 health matters summer 2019
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