Life

Anne Hailes: Defibrillators are a fitting legacy for loving husband

Anne Hailes

Anne Hailes

Anne is Northern Ireland's first lady of journalism, having worked in the media since she joined Ulster Television when she was 17. Her columns have been entertaining and informing Irish News readers for 25 years.

St Matthew's Nursery pupils Angela Khatri and Boga Likhith Vihaan with Bernie McConnell-Black and the newly-installed defibrillator in Short Strand Community Centre in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann
St Matthew's Nursery pupils Angela Khatri and Boga Likhith Vihaan with Bernie McConnell-Black and the newly-installed defibrillator in Short Strand Community Centre in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann St Matthew's Nursery pupils Angela Khatri and Boga Likhith Vihaan with Bernie McConnell-Black and the newly-installed defibrillator in Short Strand Community Centre in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann

TWO years ago tragedy came to the door of Bernie McConnell-Black’s Belfast home.

For years she and her husband Tommy worked tirelessly for the community in Short Strand, they were well known and respected, but on Friday, February 21, 2014 life changed.

“We’d just had a snack because we were taking the wee pup to the vet.

"I was on the iPad, Tommy was sitting in the chair and I heard him say: “Bernie, give us your hand.”

I turned round and he was white; I knew something was wrong – a heart attach or a stroke. Everything went into slow motion. I stood up as he slowly fell to the floor.” Cardiac arrest is sometimes preceded by certain symptoms such as fainting, fatigue, blackouts, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness and vomiting but in this case the arrest occurred with no warning.

“I dialled 999 and the ambulance car came in 15 minutes; the paramedics worked on him until the ambulance arrived but there was nothing anyone could do – Tommy was dead. Tommy was a big man, a big frame and when he fell on the floor all I could think was, 'You can’t go; you’re too young; don’t die because there is so much still to do.'

"Then I was running in and out listening for the siren. T the family arrived, the road was black with neighbours, someone got the priest but it was too late.”

She adds: “You can’t anticipate how you’ll react when this happens but I wish I’d known then what I know now.”

Bernie is development officer, caretaker and manager of the Short-Strand Community Centre where up to 22 groups within the area meet; there are creches for the children, women’s groups to look after and fundraising to be organised.

Following Tommy’s death Bernie began to think – was there anything she could have done to help him? Could his life had been saved?

Could other lives be saved in a similar situation? Perhaps so, if only there was a defibrillator at hand.

Then she thought of the number of places such a life-saving piece of equipment would be useful, equipment so important when blood flow to the heart is impaired and cardiac arrest results.

“What better way to remember Tommy than to fund raise for a couple of defibrillators for the local community so no-one will have to go through this traumatic event and to be left wondering if there was something more that could have been done?” Bernie says.

The Short Strand Community Forum fell in behind her idea and two machines were bought. Soon there will be five at key locations in the community including the Short Strand Community Centre, Doyle Youth Club, St Matthew’s Social Club and the Strand Bar.

A ‘roaming’ defibrillator will also be available to community groups to take on off-site visits, trips and sporting fixtures or to lend to other organisations for their special events.

But as Bernie says, having the equipment is one thing, learning how to use it is another and vitally important.

“We approached the Red Cross and with a community grant from The Housing Executive, 105 local people have now received training and there will be more sessions in the future.

Jock McGowan was our first aid trainer. He’s Scottish, with a great sense of humour, and he gave us the background of how the machine works, how the blood will only flow round the body for a few minutes following cardiac arrest and the importance of taking quick action.

"We all came away knowing much more about what to do in a medical emergency.”

The Red Cross emphasise that cardiac arrest can affect people of any age without warning but that swift action in the form or early cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation can help save a life.

Survival rates as high as 75 per cent have been reported when defibrillation was administered swiftly and apart from encouraging members of the public to learn about survival of someone facing a cardiac arrest, they are very keen that schools will also learn skills and develop confidence to deal with first aid emergencies which they say will build a generation of lifesavers.

:: More details of first aid courses: Red Cross, 12 Heron Road, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast BT3 9LE; 028 9073 5350; www.redcross.org.uk.

BE HAPPY IN YOUR SKIN

HOW I admire Jenny Beavan. Multi nominations for awards in costume design for the theatre and the film industry, many actual awards for a vast range of designs from The King’s Speech to Anna and the King, from Sense and Sensibility to The Bostonians.

Her parents were musicians, her daughter is a theatre producer so she’s no stranger to the world of entertainment yet she would probably have passed almost unnoticed but for Stephen Fry’s mocking remark at the recent Bafta awards when he called her a ‘bag lady’ just because she dressed in her own style – leather jacket, trousers and a wrap-round scarf – to receive her award.

She did much the same when she won another prestigious award last week for the film Mad Max: Fury Road to became the best costume designer at the 2016 Oscars ceremony.

The thing about this lady is she’s always smiling; she’s at ease with herself and her talent. She studies the history, the politics and the fashion of the time then designs her wonderful creations. She is throughly professional – and modest.

When she walked up towards the stage on Oscar night, it was noticeable that many of the audience in the posh seats didn’t bother to clap – horrified that she wasn’t in a dress that was too long and too tight or are they just ignorant?

By the time she said her measured and straightforward thank you, she’d captivated them. And when she turned to walk off stage, to great applause, she revealed the scull and hell fire she’d embroidered onto the back of the jacket. A rebel with a very good cause.