The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) held its annual Gold Drop and Porcelain Pelican Awards ceremony for the North-East, Midlands region on Friday, 19 May in the Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells, County Meath.
One hundred and twelve 50 time donors received their Gold Drop and eight 100 time donors received their Porcelain Pelicans at the ceremony. Donors and their guests attended from counties Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Westmeath, Longford, and North County Dublin.
Finbar Gethins, Area Manager for the Ardee Centre was MC for the ceremony and welcomed everyone and congratulated all the donors on their significant achievements.
Prof. Anthony Staines, Chairperson of the Board of the IBTS, in his opening address, thanked donors from the bottom of his heart, stating that donating 50 times is quite an achievement but donating 100 times is awe inspiring. “It is lovely to personally meet the donors who, without their help, we could not benefit the many people in our hospitals every day in Ireland.”
Prof. Anthony Staines presented each of the 50 time donors with their Gold Drop awards and the Porcelain Pelicans to the 100 time fonors.
Ms. Aoife Ashmore, a Leaving Certificate student, thanked all the donors present for the blood donations that saved her life. Aoife was diagnosed with scoliosis and required surgery in June 2012. There were complications with the surgery and she required 8 units of blood and 2 units of platelets. She said that she didn’t understand how much blood donation meant until it affected her, and if it wasn’t for donors like them, she wouldn’t be here today. She called the donors the Lifesavers of Ireland.
Andy Kelly, Chief Executive, presented Aoife with a bouquet of flowers and she received a heartfelt round of applause. He went on to pay tribute to the donors’ fantastic achievement of donating 50 and 100 times. “It is a lifetime of selflessness,” he said.
