East Mayo student one of three kidney transplant teenagers to receive second Covid vaccine dose
After a year of trepidation, three kidney transplant teenagers came out of cocooning this week when they attended Beaumont Hospital for an unprecedented cause for celebration.
The former patients at Temple Street Children’s Hospital are among the first in the revised Group 4 classified to be in the ‘very high-risk’ to receive their second and final ‘shot in the arm’ of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, against Covid-19.
With the changes that were brought in last month, revised group 4 was extended from 18 to 69 years to include 16 and 17 year olds.
With the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine being the only one currently approved for 16 and 17 year olds the three teens were added to the list and their vaccination will now allow them to return to school with a greater sense of confidence.
First of the three to receive her second dose of Pfizer/BioNTech at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin was Lana Devine (16) from Kells, Co. Meath, who was accompanied by her parents, former Meath footballer Jody Devine and mother Emer and two younger brothers Liam (13) and Joe (7).
Soon afterwards two other kidney transplant recipients who were given their second dose of the vaccine and increased level of reassurance were Gearóid Wrafter (16) from Loughaun, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, watched on by his mother Theresa and sister Denise, and Rebecca Osgood Daly (17), whose kidney donor mother Bernie Osgood had driven her daughter to her hospital appointment from Ballinlough, Co. Roscommon.
This was an Easter school holiday gift like no other for Gearóid, who received his kidney transplant in 2015 and is a fifth year student at Killina Secondary School.
Rebecca is a fifth year student at Ballyhaunis Community School, where her mother Bernie, who donated a kidney to her in 2010, is a teacher.
Lana is a Transition Year student in Eureka Secondary School in Kells.
She received her kidney in 2008 when she was just four years old following two years of nightly dialysis treatment as she was born with dysplastic kidneys.
Bernie Osgood said: “It has been a long time coming and we are so grateful to have reached this point.
"Rebecca has been cocooning for over a year, away from her friends, and it has been very difficult for her.
"When the first schedule for the rollout of vaccines was announced we were in disbelief that Rebecca and other transplant recipients of her age were not included.
"When the age category for the vaccination rollout was extended to over 16s it was a huge relief. Once her vaccine has had time to work in a few weeks, we expect that Rebecca will be able to get back to school after a year-long hiatus.”
Ms. Carol Moore, Chief Executive of the Irish Kidney Association, said. “We welcome the rollout of vaccinations and it offers hope to transplant recipients and dialysis patients to know that some younger members of this cohort have received their second dose of the vaccine.
"However, we are calling on the HSE for greater clarity in communication with patients who are still waiting their turn, to reassure them that they are on a list and give them an indication of the anticipated time frame for the vaccination of their group under their respective hospitals.”
Organ Donor Cards can be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association on 01 6205306 or Free text the word DONOR to 50050. You can also visit the website www.ika.ie/get-a-donor-card or download a free ‘digital organ donor card’ APP to your phone.