Lifesaving family show they have heart
Tragedy was the catalyst for one Scots family’s decision to learn the skills needed to help others in an emergency, Martin Williams reports
A SCOTS family of lifesavers have received praise after managing to resuscitate three people in separate incidents over four years having been inspired by a tragic loss.
The family of Mel Sharp and partner Stuart Fairclough, who run Burrowhead Holiday Village on the Dumfries and Galloway coast, have committed themselves to acting fast to save lives – after worker on their site died five years ago despite the use of CPR.
Ms Sharp’s 65-year-old mother, Catherine, is the latest lifesaver having managed to restart the heart of a swimmer who was in distress during the Great North Swim on Lake Windermere.
The family have been praised by Lucky2bhere, the lifesaving Scottish charity, which is championing the provision of defibrillators and emergency life support training.
It comes a matter of days after Danish international footballer Christian Eriksen was discharged from hospital after collapsing during his nation’s
Euro 2020 game against Finland on June 12 before being resuscitated with CPR and a defibrillator.
Charity founder Ross Cowie said of the family’s efforts: “It is quite a feat. Mel and her incredible family of lifesavers are leading the way for us all. Let’s get defibrillators and lifesavers into every community and make Scotland the safest place to live.”
The family’s commitment to lifesaving came in October 2016 when Mr Fairclough and son Steven intervened to try and save the life of a worker on the site.
Steven was only 15 and took on the CPR, while his father ran to get a signal to call 999. Tragically and despite their quick thinking and CPR skills nothing could be done for him.
But the incident spurred on Ms Sharp to fund raise for a defibrillator and training for the holiday village.
She said she was further inspired by the story behind lifesaving charity Lucky2bhere whose founder Mr
Cowie was saved himself back in 2008, by quick thinking friends and a passing defibrillator.
In August 2017 a defibrillator and emergency life support training was provided by Lucky2bhere.
It was only weeks later in October of that year that Ms Sharp found herself using that same device to save the life of Stuart’s mother.
Jan Lowther was only in her early 60s and had no idea that a serious situation was building up in her body which would lead to her heart stopping.
Ms Sharp started CPR within minutes of her collapse outside the bar and after just one shock from the defibrillator the heart restarted.
Ms Lowther said: “If it hadn’t been for trained people doing the CPR and using the defib, well I wouldn’t be here to tell the tale. Now and again it hits you and you think how lucky you are to be here.”
Steven’s skills were called on again in September 2019 when he was alerted to the scene of another cardiac arrest in nearby Newton Stewart.
He came to the aid of a local GP desperately trying to save the life of a young man lying on the street. His skills and confidence in using CPR saw the young man live and recover, said Lucky2bhere.
Last week it was Ms Sharp’s mother, Catherine, a first aid trainer and lifeguard, who has been congratulated after the Great North Swim rescue.
Catherine performed CPR while on a moving boat and thanks to her quick action the young man’s heart started beating and he began breathing again, before being airlifted to hospital.
She said: “It was a great team effort, I just did what I was trained to do.”
Of the lifesaving family she added: “I am so proud of Mel, using the skills that I taught her to save someone’s life.”
Catherine first learned lifesaving from her father when she was only 12. By 14 she was helping him teach and by 16 she was running courses on her own.
For all her experience her role as a volunteer guard for the Great North Swim was the first time that she had fully used her skills.
Ms Sharp is supporting Lucky2bhere’s work to get more defibrillators out in remote communities and get everyone trained.
She said: “CPR can keep someone’s heart beating and give them a chance but it is the defibrillator that will bring them back, defibrillators are so important. Everyone should know what to do cause you never know when it will be needed to save a life. If it ever happened to me, I’d hope someone would know what to do.”
Everyone should know what to do because you never know when it will be needed to save a life