Don’sheartfelt appealafterhis shockcollapse

FORMER Wicklow footballer Don Jackman who collapsed at club training on March 13 has returned home from hospital and is appealing for all clubs and organisations to ensure that they have a fully maintained and functional defibrillator within easy reach after his life was saved by his quick-thinking colleagues.

‘ The importance of a defibrillator is unreal,’ said Don.

‘ There are so many clubs that have them and the batteries might not be working right or they might not have been kept up to date and then you go to use it and the thing won’t work. It’s so important to keep them serviced and keep your eye on them. It saved my life. ‘I never thought it would happen to me. ‘I’m not saying I’m any great angel, I drink pints and I smoke but I’d be fairly fit from playing football and I’d always be working and things like that. I thought I’d be alright,’ he said.

Don collapsed at 8.25pm on that Friday night at Coolkenno GAA Club. Within two minutes the defibrillator pads were on his chest and nine shocks were administered to the stricken midfielder by the time the first responders arrived 25 minutes later.

Don was taken from the pitch once stabilised but the ambulance crew were forced to stop twice on the way to the hospital to work on the Coolkenno stalwart.

Five of Don’s club colleagues, Stevie Cushe, Jim Cushe, Sean Smyth, Cathal Rossiter and Colin Murphy have come in for huge praise for their efforts at keeping their friend alive. Don says he can never thank them enough.

‘I wouldn’t be able to thank them enough to be honest,’ he said.