Co Down defib survivor - 'More training needed in NI'
A Co Down woman who is alive today because of a defibrillator has said more needs to be done to train people in Northern Ireland in their use.
Last updated 15th Mar 2017
Linda Donaldson had her own brush with death in 2011, when she collapsed in Saintfield.
"I felt dizzy for about two seconds and then I don't remember anything after that, I had hit the ground," she said.
"My heart had stopped beating, my lungs weren't working, so I was in real trouble."
In a twist that sounds far fetched beyond belief, Linda was actually saved by a combination of road surface work being carried out that day and two good Samaritans.
Michelle McAvoy, a local school nurse, had been stopped in traffic due to the roadworks when she saw Linda at the side of the road.
She immediately made her way over and began CPR.
And as luck would have it, Phillip Batt, a trained defibrillator user, was also stuck in the traffic jam.
He grabbed his defibrillator and left his car in the middle of the road, in order to get straight to Linda.
"Between the two of them, they got the defibrillator onto my chest," she said.
"They gave me on shock with it and a bit more CPR.
"They had me resuscitated and talking to them before the emergency services arrived."
Nowadays, Linda and her husband Graham provide CPR and defibrillator training for companies and organisations around Northern Ireland.
Linda has been helping out with the Henderson Group 'Heart of our Community' campaign, which has seen defibrillators installed at their stores across Northern Ireland, with a drive to increase that.
However recently, there has been a surge in thefts and vandalisms of those life-saving devices.
For a survivor like Linda, who now has an implanted defibrillation device, she is grateful of the second chance she has been given.
"I feel incredibly lucky," she said.
"But for those two people coming along, I wouldn't be here today.
"It's not only my life they've saved, they've given me extra years with my friends and family and it's changed their lives because I'm still part of it."
- If you wish to get in touch with your own story about defibrillation, or cardiac experience, you can email news@downtown.co.uk or contact us on social media https://www.facebook.com/officialcoolfm/ or @coolfmnews on Twitter.