Laois Dialysis Woman secures Sliver and Bronze at 7th European Transplant & Dialysis Games in Croatia.

Alison Honner, is overjoyed with her success in representing her country for the first time at the 7th  European Transplant & Dialysis Games which are taking place in Zagreb, Croatia.

The 26 year old woman from Pike of Rushall, Portlaoise, secured a Sliver medal in her age category (18-29 years) in Bowling today and yesterday she competed in Badminton and made the semi-final for which she was awarded a Bronze medal. Excited after her win today, Alison said “Oh my Gold, it was so hard. I am so happy. I did it. Its great to go home with a medal, I can’t believe it. Thanks so much to everyone. I’m totally loving the Games experience.”

Alison who was born with two small kidneys has had two kidney transplants, one in 1996 and the second in 2004. After her second transplant failed, she returned to dialysis treatment which she has been receiving since 2009. She is taking a year out from Ballyfermot College where she was pursuing a course in Radio Studies.

This Thursday, Alison will compete in her final event at the Games – Ball Throw – and she will return home to Ireland with the rest of Transplant Team Ireland on Saturday night, 25th August.  Also from Laois, Niall McAuliffe from Abbeyleix secured a Gold medal on the first day of the European Games in the Darts singles event.

Also in Badminton yesterday, Alison’s teammate Mike Keohane, a liver transplant recipient from Roscarbery, Cork won a bronze medal in his 30-39 year age category. His second medal at the Games, he also won a bronze medal in Darts on Sunday.

Yesterday, James Nolan from Kildare secured Gold in the Golf Net competition. James a multi-award winning butcher from Kilcullen is celebrating the 25th anniversary since his living kidney transplant which he received from his sister. His teammates took second and third place in the Golf Gross competition. Newcomer to the Team Eoghan O’Neill, a kidney transplant recipient from Newmarket-on-Fergus (now living in Limerick)  won Silver in the Gross competition, his fourth medal since the Games began. Eoghan also won Gold on Monday in Swimming in a 400m freestyle event as well sharing Silver in the Freestyle relay and Bronze in the Medley relay event.  Antrim man John McAleer, who is the oldest member of the Team and receives dialysis treatment, was placed third in the Golf Gross event for which he secured a Bronze medal. Finland’s team took Gold in the Gross competition.

The Irish Team includes 17 men and 9 women ranging in age from 18 to 74. Events at the Games include badminton, tennis, table tennis, cycling, darts, petanque, ten-pin bowling,volleyball, golf, mini-marathon and track and field. The Irish Kidney Association is responsible for organising Transplant Team Ireland’s participation at the Games.

The European Games involves over 300 athletes from 28 countries throughout Europe. The Games are a celebration of life through sport and promote organ donation for transplantation. Athletes participating in the Games include heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplant recipients as well as people who are receiving dialysis treatment.

To follow the Irish Team at the Games visit blogwww.transplantteamireland.wordpress.com

For organ donor cards Freetext the word DONOR to 50050 or visit website www.ika.ie  It is now possible to download an organ donor card on smartphones by searching for ‘Donor Ecard’ at the iphone store and android market place.