‘It’s a miracle for my dad to be standing here’
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE team of paramedics from Dublin Fire Brigade who were involved in tending to Paul Egan, father of Olympic boxing champion and Clondalkin Fine Gael councillor Kenneth Egan, in the immediate aftermath of a cardiac event recently, were praised last week for saving his life.
Paul fell ill in the Boomers Bar in Clondalkin, and within three minutes of a 999 call being put through an ambulance with Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics were treating him at the scene and were swiftly backed up by a team of advanced paramedics, also from Dublin Fire Brigade.
The team of paramedics from an advanced paramedic car that was in the area included a trainee advanced paramedic, two fully qualified advanced paramedics and Professor Gerard Bury from the UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, who was assisting the trainee advanced paramedic.
The paramedics worked on Paul for three quarters of an hour by administering CPR and delivering ten shocks from a defibrillator, and then giving him drugs to strengthen his weak heartbeat, before transporting him to Tallaght Hospital, where he woke up three days later.
Kenneth, his daughter Kate, and Paul went to Tallaght Fire Station on Monday, June 25, to meet with members of Dublin Fire Brigade and to show their gratitude for the work the paramedics carried out.
Addressing the members of Dublin Fire Brigade, Kenneth said: “I can’t thank you all enough. When I got the call [about Paul’s cardiac event] the thought that went through my head was, ‘How do you organise a funeral?’
“You worked on him for 45 minutes. The shocks that he received, and the care and attention that he received from the whole team that was there that night was second-to-none.
“Without you lads there, as quick as you were, [Paul] wouldn’t be here today, and I think there’s a debt of gratitude from myself, my mam and the rest of my brothers that were there that night.
“You’re amazing people, you do fantastic work day in, day out, and you need the recognition – thanks a million.
“It’s a miracle for my dad to be standing here today.”
Members of Dublin Fire Brigade at Tallaght Fire Station with Paul, Kate and Kenneth Egan
The quick response time came about after an ambulance that was already in Clondalkin was rerouted from going to treat someone with a knee injury, and within three minutes of the ambulance arriving a car with advanced paramedics was also on the scene.
Peter Naven, a Dublin Fire Brigade district officer, said: “I’m 33 years in the job, and it’s seldom that you get cases where everything clicks and falls into line.
“Within three minutes of the cardiac event beginning there was an ambulance on scene – for that to happen is remarkable.
“Everything fell into line that night, the stars aligned.
“If there was a European gold medal for turn outs and assisting people, that was it.”
Paul is recovering well from his cardiac event and has since had a pacemaker fitted.
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