Lynda Donaldson has a heart for local charity

A woman from Lisburn who collapsed on a Saintfield street in 2011 and was saved through CPR and the use of a defibrillator has organised a charity quiz to raise money to support CPR and heart research charity, British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland (BHF NI).

Just over nine years on from that fateful day in Saintfield, Lynda Donaldson and her partner have planned a fun-filled charity Quiz Night at Lisburn Masonic Hall, Belsize Road on Friday February 28.

Recalling the incident, she said: “They were tarmacing the road that day and the traffic was slow but we got parked and we were walking up the street. Just as we got to the door I felt dizzy and I went to put my hand out to Graham to say ‘I don’t feel well’ but I didn’t even get the words out, in two seconds I dropped. My heart had gone into cardiac arrest, no pain, no warning, just a couple of seconds of dizziness and down.”

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Luckily for Lynda, fate stepped in and at that moment Michelle McAvoy, a school nurse at Sullivan, and Phil Batt, a first aid trainer, were passing. Both had been on separate first aid training courses in Ballynahinch and were on their way home when they sprang into action. If it was not for the quick actions of her life savers, Lynda would not be here to tell her story today.

Since her recovery, Lynda has formed a Heart Start Lisburn and Mid Down group, a BHF initiative which provides the means and materials to train local people in CPR. Now, Lynda is giving back to help fund BHF NI’s work to help local people affected by heart and circulatory disease.

If you’d like to take part in the quiz, go along to Lisburn Masonic Hall, Belsize Road on Friday February 28 for 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome.

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