Bursary and Project fund pledged in honour of former student doctor.
The Liverpool School of Medicine is honoured to announce the creation of two new funds in memory of Kieran Brinn.
Kieran was a dedicated and passionate medical student who studied at the University from September 2019 until his untimely passing in December 2022, shortly before his 22nd birthday.
The two annual funds of £1,000 were kindly donated by Kieran’s family and aim to continue his legacy by supporting future medical students in their educational endeavors. The Kieran Brinn Bursary will support one student each academic year, who is eligible for a Liverpool Bursary and wishes to intercalate in a degree provided by the University of Liverpool in Acute, Critical and Emergency care. Additionally, the Kieran Brinn Project will be used for projects that will impact on student mental health, wellbeing or addiction recovery and support.
Kieran’s Mum Claire hopes that through the Bursary and Project Fund Kieran’s memory not only lives on but positively impacts the receiving students:
“Kieran was a much-loved son and brother, and a caring friend to many, which is why we have set up the Kieran Brinn Bursary and the Kieran Brinn Project Fund so that his legacy continues to be an outstretched hand. Kieran would have wanted to help other medical students achieve their dream of becoming a doctor. "
From his earliest years, Kieran was a leader, and people looked up to him.
"He was kind, ferociously bright, articulate, witty and frustratingly tenacious. He had a wild head of curls and a huge smile. You didn’t forget Kieran having met him!
Kieran was a do-er; he enjoyed rugby, army cadets, athletics, rock climbing, shooting, music, gaming and building props for theatre productions. He was proud of his Irish heritage and a huge fan of the Irish Rugby team. He loved being in Liverpool. He was passionate about doing medicine and wanted to specialise in pre-hospital medicine, being attracted to the immediacy of it and the need for initiative, applied knowledge and leadership. He would have made a great doctor.”
Kieran undoubtedly left an impression on his friends, who spoke fondly of their time with Kieran whilst studying as student doctors.
Hannah, a close friend, expressed her pride in knowing the impact the bursaries will have:
Kieran was an incredible friend. I couldn’t have got through first year without him.
"Studying medicine can be terrifying and enormous at times but walking into a lecture or seminar and seeing him there, I immediately felt safe. I’m so happy that with this bursary he is still helping people through their medical school journey just like he did for me and all his friends. He would’ve loved this.”
Lina also met Kieran during their first year of studies and remembers his kindness:
“Kieran’s kindness is what drove his dedication to medicine, he would have made an incredible doctor and the opportunity to intercalate was his dream."
Knowing that someone can follow his dream in his memory would have meant the world to him.
Kieran was also a great support to his friends, and Maddie found his supportive nature vital to settling into the University:
“Kieran was supportive, good fun and always looked out for me. I have no doubt he would have made a brilliant doctor, and it makes me so sad that none of us will get to see the doctor he would have become. It is so lovely his presence will still be felt in the medical school and have a positive impact on future students.”
As a committed and passionate Student Doctor, Kieran never failed to look out for others and identify when the friends around him needed that extra bit of support.
His mum reflects, “Like many students who started university that year, Kieran’s studies and student life were affected by the Covid pandemic, and he was also struggling with his mental health whilst adjusting to University life and maintaining his recovery from alcohol dependency.”
This month marks a particularly poignant time for Kieran’s family and friends as he would be set to graduate alongside his peers. His mother shared these heartfelt words:
“We hope this helps you understand a bit more who Kieran was.
We hope his support will help you reach your goals, and that you will find a way in your own career to pay it forward in his memory
Good luck with your studies, and best wishes for your future.”