On September 8th, Dublin native Martin Sherlock who has made Kilmukridge in Couty Wexford his home for the past twenty-six years, will set out on an extraordinary 7-day journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. This personal and heartfelt challenge is both a fundraiser for the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) and a way to raise awareness about the life-changing impact of organ donation. The climb is also a gesture of gratitude to the families of the two organ donors who gave his sister the chance to live a full and fulfilling life.
This ambitious challenge is inspired by his younger sister, Angela, who has received two kidney transplants, the first in 1991 and the second in 2003.
Martin (57) who grew up in Greehhills, Co. Dublin with nine siblings, is father to two daughters and also a grandfather to three girls it is expected his forth grandchild and first grandson will arrive while he’s making his assent up Kilimanjaro. He said, “I decided to take on this challenge in February this year and have never done anything like this before. It will involve a climb for seven days to reach the summit and then two days descent. I look forward to completing the Challenge and then meeting my first grandson on my return to Ireland. September promises to be an unforgettable month”.
Martin shared his reasons for choosing the Irish Kidney Association to fundraise for. “Between the ages of eight and fifteen, my sister Angela had numerous hospital stays and surgeries, the hospital became like a second home. She began dialysis at sixteen and received her first transplant in 1991 at the age of seventeen. That transplant gave her a new lease on life, but sadly it failed after five years. She returned to dialysis, undergoing seven more years on CAPD, APD, and haemodialysis. In 2003, she received a second transplant and everything changed for the better.”
Today, Angela gives back as a trained IKA Peer Supporter, volunteering her time to help others navigate their kidney journeys, offering compassion, understanding, and first-hand experience.
“Thanks to the generosity of organ donors, Angela has been able to live a full and adventurous life, she has represented Ireland in Transplant Sport events, travelled the world and built connections with amazing people along the way.”
“It’s because of her donors that she’s been able to live such a full life. Organ donation works. It changes lives, my family has seen it firsthand. That’s why I’m doing this climb and when I reach the Summit I’ll have an organ donor card and two of the IKA’s Forget me Not flower emblems, which symbolise the gift of life, with me as a tribute to Angela’s two organ donors. I hope that by me taking on the Challenge I will inspire more people to have the conversation about organ donation with your loved ones. It’s something that can give others a second chance at life.”
Martin is self-financing his Challenge through tour operator Earth’s Edge. Funds raised though his fundraiser will go to the Irish Kidney Association, which supports kidney patients and their families across Ireland, and promotes the importance of organ donation.
Martin will be documenting his Kilimanjaro Challenge on Instagram @martinfsherlock and invites the public to support the cause by donating via the online fundraising link www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/MartinSherlock.
