Cardiac group boost sports clubs with defibrillators

Eight sports clubs have received defibrillators in a scheme championed by Craigavon Cardiac Care Association (CCCA) in the group’s campaign to resuscitate heart victims after a number of highly-publicised sudden deaths of young sports people.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Jun 2014, 09:00 BST
Jack Butler, Brian Williams, Mathew Williams, Sarah Stephens Photo By Shelley CorcoranJack Butler, Brian Williams, Mathew Williams, Sarah Stephens Photo By Shelley Corcoran
Jack Butler, Brian Williams, Mathew Williams, Sarah Stephens Photo By Shelley Corcoran

The machines cost £1,000 each and the money for this project was raised through the Charlie Lavery Memorial Fund, with the late Charlie having been a keen supporter of Portadown Rugby Club and Tir na nOg GAA Club.

Charlie, proprietor of Lavery Transport, died at the rugby club gym. And the money was raised by his family through a number of projects, including a match using half-rugby half-GGA rules, a barbecue, his daughters running a half-marathon and a dinner at the rugby club.

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The defibrillators were presented at Craigavon Area Hospital on Thursday night. High-profile deaths of well-known local sports people include young GAA-footballer Stephen Lyness from The Beeches, Portadown, who died on his 18th birthday; Armagh Royal rugby player John McCall (18) who died while playing in an under-19 match in South Africa; and Tyrone GGA star Cormac McAnallen (24). They all died in 2004.

The clubs who received the defibrillators were – Portadown Rugby Club, Tir Na nOg GAA Club, One Fitness, Skye Fitness, Eden Villa Tennis Club, Portadown Boat Club, Loughgall Football Club and Glenavon Youth Academy. CCCA has also trained 40 people in the use of the machines and they have passed their skills along the line in their various clubs.

Said David Smith, under-16 coach and committee man at Tir na nOg, “We have 14 teams, from under-five to the seniors who gained promotion to Division One last season, and we really appreciate this gesture.

“We received one some time ago from the Stephen Lyness Memorial Fund and we are building up a network so that we can take them to ‘away’ matches where clubs don’t have a defibrillator. We have300 children in our club and their welfare is vital to us. All eight clubs are very grateful.”

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They three sportsmen died of the mystery SADS (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome) and research continues into the condition.

Said Rodney Wiggins, PR for the CCCA, “The defibrillators are just part of our projects – but a very important one.

“We are grateful for the continued support for the association, which is a local charity.”