Limerick soccer club gets a life-saving donation
A LOCAL soccer club has received a life-saving donation from a well-known campaigner in the wake of Denmark star Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest.
Like millions of others across the world, Moyross United chairman Phil Power watched in horror as the playmaker collapsed on the pitch during the Danes’ tournament opener against Finland, forcing the suspension of the game.
Fortunately, the former Tottenham Hotspur star pulled through, but the incident has highlighted the importance of having a defibrillator to hand.
It was this which caused Phil to launch a bid to raise money for a defibrillator, which gives a high-energy shock to the heart if required.
Corbally woman Ann Boland saw the fundraiser, and immediately contacted the club with the offer.
A previous Limerick Person of the Month award recipient, Ann has for the last 16 years been donating defibrillators in memory of her son David, who died aged just 14 following an asthma attack.
“This is the 17th defibrillator I’ve donated in memory of David. I bought this one from Hayes’s in Newcastle West. It’s only a small piece of machinery, but it can save lives – it’s amazing,” she said.
The gift of the defibrillator is “massive” for the northside club, says Phil.
“We cannot thank Ann enough. It’s a vital piece of kit. We posted it [the fundraiser] on our page last week that we would try and raise money for one of these and fair play, she got in touch, and here we are today. It would have taken us a long, long time to raise €1,500 ourselves,” he said.
The device will hang on the dressing room, and each manager will have keys to access it, Phil said.
“We will have people trained up, so that at every match, be it schoolboys, juniors or our ladies football team, someone will be here all the time to be able to use it,” said the chairman.
Witnessing Christian Eriksen, who is only 29, fall on the pitch was “frightening” for Phil.
“It really brings it home. That is a top international footballer, but it can happen to any footballer, anyone playing the game of soccer or any other game for that matter. It made me realise we hadn’t got one of these,” he said.
Thanks to Ann’s intervention, he said the club now has “peace of mind”.
“Peace of mind that if there is an incident, we can run to the shed and we have a piece of equipment which can save someone’s life,” he added.
Ann added she had to step away from the television during the soccer game after witnessing what had happened to the Inter Milan player. “I’m just so glad he is ok. It really brings it home to you how vital these machines really are,” she added.
In normal times, Ann would hold several fundraisers a year to provide defibrillators to schools and sports clubs.
The onset of Covid-19 has meant she’s not been able to do this.
Among the clubs to benefit in recent years, however, are St Mary’s and Thomond rugby clubs, Corpus Christi Primary School in Moyross, plus Abbey Sarsfields GAA Club.
A defibrillators can be up to €2,000 when you take into account the price of the device, plus the cost of training volunteers, its maintenance and servicing.