A county Armagh man’s whose mum was given the gift of life with a new kidney will take on the Dublin Marathon for Kidney Care.
Mark Gordon, a Banbridge financial advisor and Waringstown resident, has kicked off his fundraising effort for charity Kidney Care UK.
Mark is really pulling out the stops by running all 26.2 miles of the Dublin Marathon taking place on Sunday, October 29 to help kidney patients and their families.
Mark has a very personal reason for this marathon effort – his late mum Audrey Gordon who received the gift of life in the form of a kidney transplant in 1994.
It was always the lifelong Lurgan lady’s wish that if Mark were ever to take on the challenge of a marathon he would do so to help patients and support organ donation.
Speaking as he launched his Just Giving Page Mark said: “As a family we remember the amazing telephone call that mum received to tell her that a transplant organ was available for her.
“She benefited so much from the selfless generosity of a family who we will never know and in a small way, by fundraising to help transplant patients and their families, I am joining her in repaying that generosity.
“Mum lived her life to honour her gifted kidney and I’m so proud to be able to do this marathon to honour her, to give back to those living with kidney failure and waiting on a transplant, and to help as many people as possible because of our own unique link to the transplant family.”
Mark’s family, including his wife Pamela – a classroom assistant at Waringstown Primary School, girls Rebekah (14), Alexandra (11) and his son Adam (10) are all cheering him on!
Supporting Mark in his marathon effort former MLA and Organ Donation Champion Jo-Anne Dobson said: “Mark has certainly been bitten by the marathon bug.
“When he contacted me to say he was going to run the Dublin Marathon in memory of his mum Audrey I was absolutely thrilled.
“Mark is supporting a charity which provides practical support directly to kidney patients and their families, this could be literally anything from advice and guidance to home heating oil as transplant patients always need extra heat at home.
“I would encourage people to get behind Mark in his effort, to check out his ‘Just Giving’ page to learn more about his very personal reason for fund raising and to please give generously to an important cause which touches the lives of so many people across Northern Ireland.
“It’s always amazing when people support organ donation, but even more so when they have, as Mark does, a very personal reason behind their fundraising.
“Mark’s mum was a loving and caring person who always put others first and I know she would be incredibly proud of her son and how he is going that extra mile for others.”
Robert Hope, Head of Fundraising at Kidney Care UK said: “As a charity we receive no government funding. We are only able to offer the support we do thanks to the wonderful efforts of individuals like Mark.”
You can help Mark and support this fantastic cause by visiting his Just Giving Page at www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/mark-gordon15.
To find out how Kidney Care UK can support you or how you can get involved and support the charity by visitingkidneycareu
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