Dundalk mum Aoife backs appeal to reopen kidney support centre

When Dundalk lecturer and mother-of-two Aoife Adams received a kidney transplant at Beaumont Hospital in February 2020, her family found comfort and support just a few steps away at the Irish Kidney Association’s National Kidney Support Centre. While Aoife recovered from the surgery, made possible thanks to a kidney donation from her brother Daniel, her parents and young daughter were able to stay close by in the Centre, easing the strain of travel and giving them peace of mind during a difficult time. Now, as the IKA prepares to reopen the Centre in Spring 2026 after extensive refurbishment, families from Dundalk and across Ireland are being asked to help restore this vital “home from home” through a new fundraising campaign.

Aoife shared, “Our parents, partners and my then two-year-old daughter Sophia were able to stay in the IKA Support Centre the night before and for a number of days after the transplant in February 2020. They had a direct link to the ward to check on us and were close by so they could easily visit. For me, it was really comforting to know they were close by and travelling was one less thing they had to worry about. The IKA Support Centre becomes a home from home for so many kidney patients.”

To help complete the final phase of its transformation, the IKA has launched a dedicated online fundraising campaign at www.supportkidneycentre.ie aimed at supporting the Centre’s €1.3 million  renovation and fit-out and ensuring that it remains a safe, convenient, and sustainable place of rest and support run by the organisation and free of charge to families from across Ireland.

With a fundraising target of €250,000 for the renovation, the campaign invites the public, corporate partners, and supporters to help restore this essential resource for the kidney community.

First opened in March 2000, the NKSC is located on the grounds of Beaumont Hospital, home to the HSE’s National Kidney Transplant Service, and is conveniently situated less than 200 meters from the hospital’s front doors. The Centre is owned and operated by the Irish Kidney Association and is funded through public fundraising.

Patients from outside of the Dublin commuter belt typically stay while attending clinic appointments related to their kidney health at Beaumont Hospital, CHI at Temple Street or Crumlin Children’s hospital. The facilities are also available to kidney patients, and families, attending Beaumont hospital as out-patients.

The Centre closed in March 2020, when it was temporarily sequestered by Beaumont Hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was formally returned to the Irish Kidney Association in November 2024 and is now undergoing a full refurbishment to meet modern standards and continue serving kidney patient and their families for decades to come.

The Centre, when reopened, will once again provide kidney patients and their families with free, safe overnight accommodation and day-time refuge, easing the physical, emotional, and financial strain of treatment away from home.

The National Kidney Support Centre (NKSC) helps alleviate financial pressures on already burdened patients and their families, removing the costs of hotels, overnight parking, and extended or unnecessary travel all of which add up over time.

The refurbished National Kidney Support Centre will continue to be operated by the Irish Kidney Association. Its renewed mission is to carry on being a welcoming “home away from home” for those living with kidney disease. It will offer free overnight accommodation, free day-time tea and coffee as well as self-catering facilities, and a calm, caring and safe environment. Day visitors, including those attending for home dialysis training or treatment at Beaumont Hospital, awaiting test results, attending outpatient appointments, or between early morning bloods and afternoon consultations, will benefit from a calm, infection-aware setting away from the hospital’s clinical environment.

The upgraded Centre will include:

• A mix of twin, double, and family overnight ensuite bedrooms
• A communal open-plan kitchen, dining and living area
• A multipurpose community room for events and support groups
• A dedicated counselling room, alternative treatments room and meditation space
• Landscaped garden offering a peaceful outdoor retreat
• Limited carparking

The Support Centre will employ experienced staff trained to support kidney patients and their families.

To help complete the refurbishment and fully equip the National Kidney Support Centre, the Irish Kidney Association has launched a dedicated fundraising campaign. The bespoke fundraising website www.supportkidneycentre.ie gives individuals, families, and businesses the chance to:

• Choose to gift from a menu of items needed to fit out the Centre (from bedding or kitchen utensils, to furniture)
• Purchase a voucher for the Centre in amounts from €20 upwards
• Corporate Giving packages from €5,000 upwards

To ensure that the public support has the greatest impact, and to avoid duplication, the IKA can only accept items purchased for the Centre through  its fundraising website www.supportkidneycentre.ie. All items purchased through the website will be supplied and delivered directly to the National Kidney Support Centre at the appropriate time, helping to streamline the fit-out process and ensuring supporters generosity has the greatest impact.

Whether buying a set of teaspoons or a bed, funding a fit out of the counselling room, or contributing to a larger bedroom or recreational area refurbishment, all support will help ensure that the National Kidney Support Centre continues to offer dignity, comfort, care, and a safe haven to kidney patients and their families for years to come.

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Carol Moore, Chief Executive of the IKA explained, “There are over 5,000 patients living with end-stage kidney disease in Ireland, with just over half of them living with a functioning kidney transplant and the remainder receiving dialysis treatment. The National Kidney Support Centre plays a crucial role in supporting this diverse community, coming from across the country. during their often-complex and challenging treatment journeys.”

"The Support Centre has always been more than just a building. It's a space where people come together, where vulnerability meets compassion, and where patients find peace, connection, and understanding. With the public’s help, we can reopen the doors to this sanctuary and make it even better than before. We are deeply grateful for the continued support of the public to help us reinstate the National Kidney Support Centre and sustain the vital range of services we provide.”

Attending a photocall at the Support Centre to help launch the fundraising website were family members of transplant recipients who previously availed of the Centre along with renal nurse specialists and transplant coordinators from Beaumont Hospital. 

The IKA’s dedicated fundraising website www.supportkidneycentre.ie features a menu of items that supporters can gift to help furnish and equip the Centre. For corporate sponsorship enquiries, please contact us at nksc@ika.ie or call 01 620 5306.

When Dundalk lecturer and mother-of-two Aoife Adams received a kidney transplant at Beaumont Hospital in February 2020, her family found comfort and support just a few steps away at the Irish Kidney Association’s National Kidney Support Centre. While Aoife recovered from the surgery, made possible thanks to a kidney donation from her brother Daniel, her parents and young daughter were able to stay close by in the Centre, easing the strain of travel and giving them peace of mind during a difficult time. Now, as the IKA prepares to reopen the Centre in Spring 2026 after extensive refurbishment, families from Dundalk and across Ireland are being asked to help restore this vital “home from home” through a new fundraising campaign.