When footballer Cathal Joyce collapsed moments before the Westmeath Championship semi-final in 2015 the quick thinking of his brother James, saved his life.
James immediately began administering CPR and calling out for assistance.
Dr Patrick Boland, and a cardiac nurse from Mullingar hospital, Stacy Egan helped to administer additional rounds of CPR while a defibrillator was sourced.
But for the three rounds of CPR and the ‘shock’ from the defibrillator Cathal would have died.
He was just 25 and was suffering a cardiac arrest.
Cathal was taken to hospital and following a battery of tests was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (a problem with the heart muscle).
Six months later Cathal was back playing football with an ICD implanted under his left collar-bone.
“I’m not playing at the intensity I used to, but I’m playing, which is fantastic,” he said.
CPR saved Cathal’s life, please donate to help train more life savers in Ireland