Mum-of-three praises leisure centre staff who saved her life after cardiac arrest

A County Antrim woman who suffered a cardiac arrest at a fitness class has been reunited with the brave leisure centre staff who saved her life.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Apr 2018, 17:47 GMT
Updated 27th Apr 2018, 17:51 GMT
Joanna Ireland with the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr Paul Hamill, Jayne Murray from BHF NI and Isaiah Close, Tim Ayre, Alex Deaney, Lee Irvine and Janelle Close.Joanna Ireland with the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr Paul Hamill, Jayne Murray from BHF NI and Isaiah Close, Tim Ayre, Alex Deaney, Lee Irvine and Janelle Close.
Joanna Ireland with the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr Paul Hamill, Jayne Murray from BHF NI and Isaiah Close, Tim Ayre, Alex Deaney, Lee Irvine and Janelle Close.

Joanna Ireland, from Glengormley, returned to Sixmile Leisure Centre on Thursday (April 26) - two months after she collapsed during an aerobics class.

The 57-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest during the session and centre staff took quick action by performing CPR and defibrillation before the ambulance arrived.

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It was this swift action that saved Joanna’s life and yesterday she publicly thanked Alex Deaney, Tim Ayre, Lee Irvine, Isaiah Close and Janelle Close, the five staff members who gave her a second chance at life.

Joanna Ireland and her husband, David.Joanna Ireland and her husband, David.
Joanna Ireland and her husband, David.

Joanna and her husband David have made a donation to British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland to recognise their lifesaving work in equipping the public with the skills to perform CPR and defibrillation.

The mum-of-three said: “Tuesday, February 20 was just an ordinary day. I have exercised regularly for years and attended the class in Sixmile Leisure Centre twice a week.

“I felt fine at the start of the class and one of the other ladies told me I wasn’t following the routine properly after she saw me stumble a few times, but I had no idea what was ahead of me.

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“One minute I was taking part and the next I remember was two days later in hospital. I had suffered a cardiac arrest and my heart had stopped.

Joanna Ireland and her husband, David.Joanna Ireland and her husband, David.
Joanna Ireland and her husband, David.

“Unbeknownst to me after I collapsed the centre staff took quick action and realising I was essentially dead on their floor they started CPR and defibrillation while also evacuating the centre. They managed to phone my husband, David, who rushed there to see them working on me on the floor which must have been absolutely terrifying.

“They kept my heart beating until the ambulance arrived and took me to hospital. I was later diagnosed with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart condition I didn’t know I had.”

Joanna said without the bravery and professionalism of the centre staff she would not be here today.

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She added: “I don’t think there are really the words to say how grateful I am to Alex, Tim, Lee, Isaiah and Janelle. They saved my life there’s no doubt about it. You never think a cardiac arrest is going to happen to you but it did and they gave me a second chance at life.

“You can’t put a price on a life but I wanted to make the donation to the foundation to recognise what the staff did for me and to help fund the research to stop it happening to other people.”

Related topics:CPR