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