Soccer star Clive tells students of his collapse
Thursday May 01 2008
They may have been given short notice but students attending transition year at Colaiste Craobh Abhann listened intently as footballer Clive Clarke described the moment he collapsed during a Carling Cup tie between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City last August
The reason behind Clive's visit was to impress on the students the importance of a life saving defibrillator and how nobody in Ireland should be more than five minutes distance from one.
The importance of the issues on discussion certainly impacted on the students. Clive, originally from Newtownmountkennedy, was resuscitated through the use of a defibrillator during his much publicised collapse early this season.
He is currently awaiting the results of genetic testing which will confirm whether he has a heart condition known as Long QT Syndrome.
Maureen Kelly also spoke to the class. She lost her son Darragh aged 21, to Sudden Cardiac Death in 2003. Maureen organised a 60s night in Greystones which provided enough money to purchase a defibrillator for both senior Kilcoole schools.
Alan Moran of Hibernian Health Care set aside some of his own time to train 12 teachers in all on the correct use of a defibrillator.
Maureen has also helped organise a support group for sudden cardiac death in the young. Their website can be visited at www.scdyoung.ie
