Community taking heart from a life-saving skill
A NORTH Cork town has invested in three defibrillators and is determined to train as many people as possible in using the life saving equipment.
Michelle Burke of Mitchelstown Defibrillator Committee told the Farming Independent that a number of years ago she had the unfortunate experience of coming across a woman in a car who had stopped breathing and died. Michelle learned later that if there had been access to a defibrillator the woman may have lived. That’s when she decided to set up the local committee.
“We formed a couple of years ago and were lucky enough to get sponsors to pay for the defibrillator. We are so grateful to their generosity. There’s one located outside the credit union, one in the town’s square and another one on the main street,” she says.
The committee regularly run courses in conjunction with the local Red Cross to teach people how to use the equipment.
“We have training courses and always feel January is a great time of year to run them as people want to learn new skills,” she adds.
“It’s physically demanding and we urge people that they have to be able to get down on their hands and knees to be able to work the equipment.”
The local Macra club has now gotten on board and is running a course along with the committee and the Red Cross in Mitchelstown Town Hall, on January 27 from 10-2pm.
Sabina Mullins, chair of the club is a member of the Fermoy and Conna Red Cross Branch and feels that the course is an excellent life skill that everyone should learn.
“I did a course with the committee last summer and I’m a member of the local Red Cross and I felt it was so worthwhile to it,” she says.
“As a pharmacist learning how to use a defibrillator was important for me and also my uncle died of a heart attack so there was an extra reason why I decided to learn.
Comfort
“Even though the resuscitation rate of defibrillators can be low, a person who is in need of help should be given every chance to survive and it’s a comfort to families to know that one was used even if a loved one doesn’t survive.”
Mitchelstown Macra secretary, Shane Murphy said that the club is passionate about passing on the vital skills to the wider community, as slower ambulance times in rural areas mean being able to use a defibrillator could be the difference between life and death.
“Basic CPR and even knowing where to locate a defibrillator could be the difference between life and death. Ambulance times are often too slow, so this skill is really invaluable.”