STORM TRACKER: Follow 'Storm Amy' as it bears down on Ireland amid brutal forecast
Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Mount Kilimanjaro
Tipperary man Jason Hassett is planning to climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, to support his partner, Lavinia Connell, for an incredibly poignant reason.
Westmeath woman, Lavinia, says the climb is something she has "always wanted to do for personal reasons" and is also doing it "in memory of my brother John to raise awareness of organ donation and the importance of carrying a donor card".
On October 15, the pair will face the daunting challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro and as Lavinia says, Boherlahan native Jason is "keeping me company just because he is the best".
On her late brother John (pictured below), Lavinia wrote: "John was only 24-years-old when on his motorcycle he was involved in a fatal road accident.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO DONATE TO FUNDRAISER FOR THE IRISH KIDNEY ASSOCIATION
"After spending a week on life support before he passed, the organ donation coordinator came to speak to my parents asking that question no parent in their lives should have to answer when already faced with that sudden loss and unbearable grief.
"John did not carry a donor card, but a conversation mam heard two weeks previous to his accident between John and his cousin, John had said if anything did ever happen to him on his motorcycle he wanted to donate all to save others.
"At a time of such high emotions and utter devastation this decision caused even more heartache and division within the family but mam in the midst of this tragedy found the strength to honour John's wishes.
"Five people received the gift of life because of John.
"The man that received John’s heart was the same age as him, he now has a wife and kids and is still in contact with my parents and although the pain of 'why could John not have that life' will always be there the comfort of knowing his heart still beating is something words cannot describe… that recipient received a heart of gold.
"Kilimanjaro will be the closest I will get to you while on this earth John."
Lavinia has created a fundraiser for the Irish Kidney Association and has so far raised over €1,000 with a target of €2,000.
If you want to donate, click here.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
