Glenties podiatrist Lucia Byrne stepped up to support a very worthy cause when she did the Dublin Marathon last weekend.
Lucia, who runs the Stride Foot & Ankle Clinic in Donegal Town, ran the marathon with her good friend Carol Hegarty from Ballina, Co Mayo in memory of Carol’s late uncle Ollie Hegarty who was a kidney patient who passed away in 2022.
So far they have raised close to €2,000 for the Irish Kidney Association with donations to the GoFundMe online fundraising platform.
Carol said: “It was wonderful to have my Donegal friend Lucia’s support for the fundraiser by running in the marathon with me, which was the second time for both of us to run the Dublin Marathon.
“In May 2022, my family also did fundraiser for the Irish Kidney Association when my sister Marie Hegarty, who, like Lucia, is also a podiatrist, spearheaded the participation by our extended family – our dad and Oliver’s other brothers, Oliver’s sisters and nieces and nephews – in the Ballina River Moy Half Marathon raising over €5,000 for the charity.”
Carol shared her gratitude to people who have supported the journey.
“There is still time for others to donate to our fundraiser for this worthy cause,” she said. “The Irish Kidney Association has a special place in the hearts of the Hegarty family as the hereditary condition polycystic kidney disease exists in our family. The kidney charity has helped family members gain access to vital treatment and supported us. Family members have had kidney transplants and extensive dialysis treatment. Unfortunately, we lost our Uncle Ollie Hegarty to the disease in January 2022 but the treatment he had, helped him live a fulfilled life.”
For more information about organ donation, the Irish Kidney Association (IKA), each of its inspiring Dublin Marathon runners and links to their online fundraisers, please visit www.ika.ie/dublin-marathon-2024/#teamika
