On Tuesday 27th April 2010, the official launch of the A-CEART website was held at the
Media Box offices. Many thanks to all who were able to attend, and a very special thanks to our guest-speaker Eilish Macklin, Director of Nursing at the
National Rehabilitation Hospital.
There are eight people seriously injured for every person that is killed on our roads. That was the stark message from Eilish Macklin, Director of Nursing at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.
Ms. Macklin was speaking at the official launch of the A-CEART website this week which will further promote the road safety work of Mary Clinton. The website, sponsored by Media Box, has drawn great praise from a number of key stakeholders in the road safety arena.
Key messages of support were delivered at the launch from Judge Seamus Hughes of the District Court in Donegal; Eamonn Brown, Donegal Road Safety Officer; Inspector Michael Harrison, Letterkenny Garda Traffic Unit; Inspector Stephen Haslett of the PSNI Traffic Unit and Stephen Lambert, Regional Engineer with of the National Roads Authority.
Ms. Macklin was the guest of honour at the A-CEART website launch and specifically highlighted the serious injuries inflicted by people in road traffic accidents. “I would like to commend Mary Clinton on her tremendous work and to appeal to people to remember those who are seriously injured in road accidents. Up to 20% of our patients are young males who are admitted with brain injury, spinal damage and/or limb loss as a direct result of road traffic accidents. Meanwhile, 50% of all children admitted to the NRH have been injured in a road traffic accident. These are real people whose lives and the lives of their families are devasted and changed forever.”
Ms. Clinton said she was overwhelmed and delighted with the response to her website which she has been working on with Joanne Sweeney-Burke of Media Box for over a year. “A website was invaluable for me in order to be able to share with the world the work that we do. I have dedicated this website to three people who have died as a result of road traffic accidents: my Uncle, Charlie McKelvey, my best friend from my College days,Kathleen McCauley and my good friend Garda Robbie McCallion. Their lives are remembered every day as I do my A-CEART work.”
Mary is appealing for volunteers to help promote her road safety message and anyone interested in supporting A-CEART’s work should log onto
www.a-ceart.com. A-CEART also published their Facebook page this week and are inviting friends to join and help drive their road safety campaign.