A Galway family who wanted to honour the memory of their son and brother after he was killed in a car crash have presented a cheque for €20,000 to the Thinking of You memory box project for organ donors at UHG.

Simon Quinn was from Abbeyknockmoy, and he was just 22 when he was killed in a car accident in October 2024.

And his family decided that, in his memory, they would hold a fundraiser each year around his birthday on April 22. The proceeds were split between the Thinking of You memory boxes and the Abbeyknockmoy Benevolent Fund.

The funds were raised through an iDonate page and a community auction, which received overwhelming support from the people of Abbeyknockmoy and surrounding areas.

And that led to a cheque for €20,000 being presented by Simon’s parents, Carmel and Fred Quinn, together with Simon’s brother Aaron and sister Iarla.

The Thinking of You memory box is a symbol of respect and compassion for organ donors and their families, reflecting empathy and care during life’s most difficult moments.

Through meaningful keepsakes, the project offers comfort during end-of-life care and the donation process, helping families preserve connection, create cherished memories, and find lasting support in their grief.

Led by Gillian Shanahan, Organ Donation Nurse Manager, HSE West and North West, this initiative is inspired by the selfless decision to become an organ donor, an act that saves and transforms lives. And its growth has been made possible through the continued support of donor families.

What began as a small nursing project offering comfort has evolved into a gift of memories shared from one donor family to another, a powerful reflection of empathy, compassion, and humanity at its finest.

The Quinn family said it was their ‘honour to raise funds for this amazing project’.

“The Thinking of You memory box brings us great comfort, knowing that Simon has a keepsake with him – a lasting connection that we’ll always treasure,” they said.

“Every detail of the box reminds us of the compassion and care shown by the staff at University Hospital Galway during an unimaginably difficult time.

“We would be overjoyed to see these boxes launched nationwide, allowing other families to create cherished memories, just as we were able to do with Simon.”

Pictured at the presentation of a €20,000 cheque from the Quinn family to UHG’s Thinking of You memory box project were (from left) Iarla Nutley; Aaron Quinn; Fred Quinn; Carmel Quinn; Claire Lavelle, Clinical Nurse Manager 3, Critical Care Unit, UHG, Gillian Shanahan, Organ Donation Nurse Manager, UHG, HSE West North West; and Dr Emer Curran, Clinical Lead in Organ Donation, UHG.