Mayo woman shares family’s organ donation story at special mass in Knock
Organ Donor Awareness Week begins with a moving ceremony at Knock Basilica highlighting life-changing impact of organ donation
A special Mass for organ donors and their families took place at Knock Basilica on Sunday (May 17), with a moving personal testimony from a Mayo woman whose family made the decision to donate her mother’s organs.
The annual Mass, held as part of Organ Donor Awareness Week running from May 16 to 23, brought together transplant recipients, bereaved families, medical teams, carers and those awaiting transplants to remember donors and reflect on the life-changing impact of organ donation.
Speaking at the service, Nicole Grier Walsh, originally from Claremorris, shared the story of her mother Martina, whose five organs were donated after she died unexpectedly following a brain aneurysm in 2012.
Nicole, who was just 17 at the time, said she, her younger sister Chloe and their father made the difficult but selfless decision to donate Martina’s organs in the aftermath of her untimely death.
Martina donated her kidneys, liver, lungs and heart, giving what Nicole described as “a second chance at life” to others.
“For our family, that was a very difficult and shocking time. Losing someone so suddenly changes everything,” Nicole told those gathered at Knock.
“But alongside our grief, there has always been a real sense of pride in knowing that my mum was able to help others.”
Nicole said hearing from some of the transplant recipients over the years brought home the human impact of organ donation and provided comfort to the family in their grief.
“It reminded us that organ donation is not just a medical process or a statistic. It is about real people, real families and real futures,” she said.
She spoke particularly of the emotional significance of learning that her mother’s heart had gone to an eight-year-old girl.
“When you lose someone, you never stop missing them. But to know that part of my mum’s legacy lives on in others has been a source of comfort to our family.”
Nicole, who married Kieran Walsh last year and now lives in Portarlington, Co. Laois, said Organ Donor Awareness Week serves as an important reminder for families to speak openly about organ donation wishes.
“Don’t leave your loved ones in doubt,” she said. “Have the conversation. Make your wishes known. Let your family know what you would want.”
She told the congregation that clarity around a loved one’s wishes can bring comfort to grieving families at the most difficult moments of their lives.
The Mass at Knock Basilica has become a significant annual occasion for donor families, transplant recipients and healthcare workers, offering a chance to remember those who have died while celebrating the hope and second chances created through organ donation.
Nicole concluded her address by reflecting on the legacy left by her mother.
“For our family, my mother’s decision has become an important part of how we remember her — not only for the life she lived, but for the lives she helped save,” she said.