Over £200,000 raised in Kyra’s memory

MORE than £200,000 has been raised in memory of a much-loved Omagh woman who tragically died after a road traffic collision five years ago.

Kyra McKinley had been driving a short distance from her home when the incident occurred in August 2018.

Emergency services treated Kyra at the scene before the air ambulance flew her to hospital in Belfast in a journey time of less than 20 minutes.

Kyra’s family had precious time with her at hospital, but sadly she passed away two days later at the age of just 21.

Importantly, Kyra was able to donate a number of her organs to others, something the family are incredibly proud of.

Since then, her family, friends and the Omagh community have been remembering Kyra and raising funds in her memory, through the campaign ‘WWKD – What Would Kyra Do?’, all in support of Air Ambulance NI.

Kyra’s sister, Alex, said, “We wanted something positive to come from such horrific circumstances, and we also wanted to give back to Air Ambulance NI for the incredible service they provided to Kyra after her accident. They give us the time to say goodbye to Kyra, which was priceless, and on top of that, their services also meant that Kyra was able to donate organs which changed the lives of four people. Since then, the community has come together in so many ways to support and run many events in Kyra’s memory – from coffee mornings, to helping bag pack in M&S, from running marathons and bucket collecting, to holding concerts, and that is just to start!”

Damien McAnespie, area fundraising manager for Air Ambulance NI, said, “On behalf of the charity and service, I can’t thank the McKinleys enough for their considerable support… They have become lifelong friends of our charity, and we are forever humbled by their support and strength.”

The McKinley family wished to publicly thank all the people who supported them since Kyra’s death in August 2018, and also assisted or donated in Kyra’s memory.

“Saying thank you simply doesn’t even begin to cover how grateful we as a family are for the support we have received. This £200,000 is not just a reflection of the impact Kyra had, but also of the kindness and generosity of the community.

“This could not have been done without the help of so many wonderful people and groups, who gave both time and resources.

“We want to thank every single person who has ever ran a WWKD event, volunteered, or gave a donation. We would also like to thank the many, many businesses that have supported us by allowing us to collect on their premises, donated prizes and advertised events.

“To bring such light from the darkest of circumstances is one of the best legacies we could leave for Kyra, and we will be forever grateful to every single person who helped along this journey.”