"Michaela Morley, from Ballyglass, Co Mayo, was only six-years-old when she met O'Driscoll in her Temple Street hospital room in 2011. Hooked up to a kidney dialysis machine, she threw a ball into the Heineken Cup from her hospital bed and O'Driscoll cheered her on. It was a moment that gave a little girl reprieve from the seriousness of her condition and made national headlines."
"Having a place like the Support Centre makes ongoing care much more manageable - especially for families like ours - who have to travel long distances and for very early appointments. I can go there to relax between appointments, go back to my room to rest, watch television, have a bite to eat and a cuppa and chat to other people on a similar health journey."
"O'Driscoll said he was "delighted to catch up with Michaela and hear how she's getting on." He added it was "clear to see how the IKA has supported Michaela's family over the last number of years." The retired player feels "the centre will offer families of kidney patients of all ages, exactly like Michaela, great support whilst their family member is being treated in Hospital.""
Michaela Morley met Brian O'Driscoll at age six in Temple Street while on kidney dialysis, throwing a ball into the Heineken Cup from her hospital bed. A transplant at the end of 2011 restored her health, though she remains a lifelong kidney patient and is grateful to the donor family. The pair reunited ahead of her 21st birthday to support raising €250,000 for renovation of the IKA Support Centre adjacent to Beaumont Hospital. The centre offers rest rooms, refreshments, and peer contact, easing travel and early-appointment burdens for families of kidney patients.
Read at Irish Independent
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