North Cork organ recipient to cycle Ring of Kerry for Irish Kidney Association

A worker in a North Cork motor parts company who received a kidney from his brother and a pancreas from another donor is to participate in next weekend’s Ring of Kerry cycle to raise awareness for organ donation and funds for the Irish Kidney Association.

John Paul Lehane, a parts adviser at Newmarket Motors, had been struggling with type 1 diabetes since he was a child and needed dialysis. 

The youngest of 13 siblings, whose parents, Breda and Neily, run a shop in Kiskeam, John Paul’s brother, Barry, a trained nurse now working in the medical and legal field in England, was the first to offer to donate a kidney.

Unconditional gift of life 

For Barry, the donation of his kidney was an unconditional gift of life to his ailing brother, while for John Paul’s wife, Edel, who works in the palliative care unit at Kerry University Hospital in Tralee, it offered hope for both her husband’s health and their son Oran’s future.

While it will be the first time for the brothers to cycle the 170km Ring of Kerry route, Edel took part last year to fundraise for the Irish Kidney Association, along with sisters Sinead and Karina Kelleher and Karina’s daughter, Eve, all from Rathmore, Co Kerry. The sisters’ father, Donal Kelleher, underwent a kidney transplant from a deceased donor last June.

This year, the Lehanes will be joined by extended family and friends as they take on the route. Cycling with the trio will be John Paul’s brother-in-law, Der Cronin, from Mallow; their school friend Bill Halliden, who lives in Brussels; and Edel’s cousin, Des Hayes, and his son Harry, from the UK.

The Lehane trio plan to stay together throughout the route.

Raise 

John Paul has set up a fundraising page on iDonate to support the Irish Kidney Association. To date, the page has raised more than €2,200, but they are hoping to raise even more before the event.

“I’m looking forward to taking part in the cycle with two very important people in my life,” he said. 

People can  encourage others to support the Irish Kidney Association at  https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/JohnpaulLehane76.