Cousins Thea Ui Lionnain, living in Edinburgh and Niamh Brennan, living in Berlin, are flying home to Ireland to run the Dublin Marathon together
Despite living in two different countries, with Thea Ui Lionnain in Edinburgh, Scotland and Niamh Brennan in Berlin, Germany, the pair have remained incredibly close since they grew up together in the neighbouring towns of Kilcock and Maynooth in Co Kildare.
Now the cousins are travelling back home to Ireland, where their friendship first began, to run the Dublin Marathon in memory of their late aunt Mary Nolan, who was just 52 years of age when she sadly passed away.
Mary, who was from Clonmel in Co Tipperary, lived with type 1 diabetes from a young age and later developed chronic kidney disease. As a result, she endured two years of dialysis and long journeys for treatment to Beaumont Hospital from Clonmel three times a week.
In 2004, Mary received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor, putting an end to those difficult years of dialysis.
Sadly, Mary tragically passed away suddenly in 2011 as a result of complications with her diabetes. Despite it being over 13 years since Mary’s death, she remains in the hearts of her family members, including her two nieces, Thea and Niamh, who miss their aunt everyday.
“Mary was almost like a granny to us she was just the most caring person,” Thea told the Irish Independent. “I went to uni in UCC which is in Cork even though I’m from Kildare and she used to come down incessantly to make sure we had food in the fridge and a few bob in the hand, she just thought of everything,” Thea laughed.
“She’s the sort of person that you miss at every family occasion. She would be the first in with the card and the few bob, just so, so caring and really the backbone of my mam’s family.”
Mary inspired her family everyday with her resilience and determination, despite the obstacles life had placed in her path.
“Mary had a hard hand of cards dealt to her but she never let it hold her back. She was a real inspiration to all of us.
“She ended up having to have a triple bypass as a result of the diabetes and was on dialysis and eventually she got a donor which just gave her a completely whole new lease of life.
“Thanks to the new kidney she was out cycling, swimming and just doing everything she was restricted from doing before she got the transplant. She was essentially living her best life.
“We as a family now make sure to live our lives to the fullest just as Mary did. She has inspired us all.
“She is just missed everyday by all of us and we are all getting older and we just think of all the amazing achievements and milestones in our lives that she is missing out on and would have loved to be a part of.”
As well as running in memory of Mary, the two cousins are running in support of the Irish Kidney Association Support Centre which is located on the grounds of Beaumont hospital and was an “absolute godsend” to Mary’s family while she was receiving treatment in hospital.
“Martin, Mary’s husband would drive Mary to hospital for her dialysis treatments three times a week which was a very tough experience,” recalled Thea.
“But Martin always says that the Irish Kidney Association Support Centre, which is basically a hostel on the grounds of Beaumont Hospital, was an absolute godsend to him, both when Mary was being treated for kidney disease and during the last couple of weeks of her life.
“It is accommodation for loved ones of those receiving treatment and basically gives them somewhere to sleep and make a cup of tea or coffee.
“For us as a family, we went to the hostel right after Mary died. We had all been around her bedside to keep her company in her last remaining hours so when she did pass we all went there and had a cup of tea and a biscuit together.
“It just gives families a space to be close to their loved ones and I don’t really think it gets the recognition it deserves so I have asked that all of our funding goes specifically to the hostel.”
Most importantly for Thea and Niamh they hope their run for Mary will educate and inspire others to sign up to become an organ donor.
“I think organ donation is the best gift you can give someone,” said Thea.
“If you wish to be an organ donor, it is so, so important to let your family know, so that if the worst were to happen, at least your family know to carry out your final wish and donate your organs. I know it is a morbid conversation to have but it is so important. You should also carry a donor card at all times.
“We have seen first-hand how transformational organ donation can be in a person’s life. Because of the kindness of the deceased donor who gave Mary their kidney, Mary was able to go from having to travel to Beaumont three times a week for treatment to cycling her bike and swimming. It gave her a brand new lease of life.
“She went from no quality of life to regaining her whole life.”
Both Thea and Niamh are so grateful that they are able to reunite and do something memorable in memory of their aunt who will forever hold a special place in their hearts.
“Every year we try to do something special for Mary. She may be gone, but she will never be forgotten.
“By running this marathon, not only are we honouring Mary and her legacy, but we are also using her memory to support an organisation that was very close to her heart and to encourage more people to become organ donors because you are giving the gift of life.”
To donate to Thea Ui Lionnain fundraising for Irish Kidney Association CLG please click here
To donate to Niamh Brennan fundraising for Irish Kidney Association CLG please click here
