Grieving family to continue cystic fibrosis awareness work

THE grieving family of a 23-year-old Kerry woman who died earlier this month after a long battle with cystic fibrosis have vowed to continue her work to create greater awareness of the condition.

During the last months of her life, Mary Hand, from Dingle, appeared on a poster urging people to carry organ donor cards.

She had been waiting for a double lung transplant that would have saved her life.

Mary’s parents, Tom and Betty, and partner, Alan Kenny, are to continue the campaign.

A new poster that may also include the image of other cystic fibrosis sufferers in Kerry is also being designed.

Alan said Mary had always stressed the campaign was not for herself alone and thought it would be great if the campaign resulted in someone else getting a chance of life.

“We feel the best way to remember Mary is to encourage people to carry donor cards. We will continue this campaign to the best of our abilities and more because we know this is what she’d want. We’ll do it for her, in her memory,” he explained

Mary, who died in Cork University Hospital, on September 7, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of six weeks.

Alan said she was always brave and courageous.

Her health began to deteriorate in her early twenties and twice in the past year was called to a hospital in Newcastle, England, for a transplant operation.

On the first occasion, unfortunately, the donor lungs were damaged, whilst on the second occasion, Mary had an infection and was unable to receive the organs.