First aid trained players & defibrillator save a player
John Fenlon was playing for Ealing Evergreens when he collapsed having suffered cardiac arrest.
The situation could have been disastrous for John and his family but the two scrum halves, who had both just been on an Emergency First Aid in Rugby Union course, rushed to help and, with a defibrillator available at the club, saved the player’s life.
Ealing’s Justin Green and Sid Young from opposition team UCS want everyone to know the difference made by their recent training and the availability of the defibrillator.
Justin now works for a pharmaceutical company but until 12 years ago was a medical registrar. Despite being well equipped to handle an emergency and having been on the EFRU course five years ago, as one of the U12 coaches at Ealing Trailfinders he decided: “For the team’s safety and my own confidence I should go on a refresher.”
Initially, the nearest course at Chiswick was fully booked but someone dropped out.
Serendipity exemplified
“I had to take the day out, it was my Sunday, I’ve got two young kids and my wife needed the car, so I had to cycle,” he said. “I wondered whether, as a doctor, the effort would be worth it, but I came away from the course thinking it was eight hours well spent.
“I didn’t think I would need to use the CPR training, but the situation was serendipity exemplified. When John collapsed right by me and he didn’t have a pulse, I was super confident, very much in control.
“The other first aid trained number 9, Sid Young, and I could run the resuscitation, but you need several people who know what they are doing. This has been very powerful for me as an individual and I’ve been walking on air having done something so positive. John’s wife and two young children have escaped an alternative existence and I’m so glad. We worked as a team, the paramedics were amazing as were the cardiologists at Hammersmith.”
Refresher two days before the match
Sid Young is 29 but turned out on the Friday night when UCS Vets were short of players. He coaches Chingford senior team and works in community rugby for Saracens.
“Because of my job I’ve done first aid courses but decided to do a refresher at Stonex Stadium only two days before the match, so everything was very fresh in my mind. I’d dealt with injuries but never a cardiac arrest. That refresher course gave me the confidence to act quickly. I ran across to the clubhouse and back with the defibrillator and then I was helping Justin. Once you have the defibrillator the machine advises you to shock and then suggests further compressions so I took it in turns with Justin who found a pulse.
“The guy running our course said delivering CPR can give someone a 7% chance but survival with a defibrillator is 70% and it’s incredible how easy they are to use, how straight forward it is. At the time I didn’t think of the scale of what I was doing, I was just doing what I knew I had to do but when John was stable and responsive it hit me just how important it was. He called me later and it was great to hear his voice and to know he was okay. That makes you understand you’ve done something pretty worthwhile. I’d say to everyone do this course and you might help someone on the pitch, a friend or a stranger. You really might save a life."
It’s their story says John
John Felon, who is 42, the Ealing Evergreens player who suffered a heart attack was home from Hammersmith Hospital within four days, said: “The more that’s written the better about Justin and Sid and the first aid course and the more exposure of the difference a defibrillator can make will put clubs in good shape to help.
“I remember everything up to my heart attack: kick-off, making a tackle, missing a tackle, walking up to the lineout. Then I remember coming round on the pitch with Justin telling me I’d had a heart attack. My wife Fiona and I have two kids, Tallulah, who’s two, and Nate, who’s seven. Nate and I have been out in the park doing little shuttle runs ready for the mini mile they do before the Ealing half marathon. I’m so glad it didn’t happen then and how fortuitous it was that it happened when people were there who knew what they were doing and had use of the debrillator. I could have been out with my boy or walking the dog.
“I was playing 8 and Justin and Sid were the 9s and both had just done a first aid course. They were phenomenal as were the paramedics and everyone at Hammersmith Hospital. It was one of the little arteries off the main one in my heart that was the problem and now, instead of a stent, they go through your wrist with a camera, up to the heart and use a balloon to fix it, get the remainder of the blood clot out.
“I’ve been playing rugby for about 30 years and I’m so thankful to the guys who were there for me that night. It’s a positive story. It’s their story.”
Richmond Heavies helping community clubs
Said Steve Weekes, chair of Ealing Trailfinders 1871, who was at the match: “John collapsed early in the second half and the fact that both Justin and Sid had just done a refresher course, their quick response and a defibrillator being available, meant they managed to bring him back when he had no pulse. The paramedics said we had done everything we could have to help John who is keen that all rugby players have access to the same training and facilities that saved his life. He has pledged his support to help Richmond Heavies with their mission to get working defibrillators into all community rugby clubs in the land.”
Through the extraordinary efforts of some ordinary rugby people, The Heavies Foundation are helping over 60 community rugby clubs get a proper working defibrillator and make their players, supporters and local rugby community a safer place. Rupert Allhusen swam across the English Channel last September raising enough to help 20 rugby clubs and in September a team of 10 men and women cycled the length of Britain raising enough to help fund working defibrillators in at least 40 rugby clubs. Working with The Community Heartbeat Trust, the Foundation has 20 defibrillators still available to community rugby clubs who don’t currently have one and wish to apply through the grant application.
As recent events in both rugby and football have illustrated, defibrillators and trained first aiders can make a huge difference for players and supporters on and off the pitch.
