Marathon Runner Reconnects with Lifesavers After Cardiac Arrest

“My angels and stars were all aligned that day – it’s a miracle, really.” John Deery, 63, experienced a cardiac arrest while participating in the Belfast Marathon in May, during which his heart ceased functioning for six minutes. The former bank manager stated that the prompt actions of strangers among the spectators were instrumental in saving his life. He is now advocating for the British Heart Foundation’s initiative, which calls for communities across Northern Ireland to contribute to mapping registered defibrillators, thereby aiming to save more lives. A defibrillator is a medical device employed to deliver an electric shock to the heart of an individual undergoing a cardiac arrest. These devices are utilized in conjunction with resuscitation or CPR to maximize the chances of survival. One such device was used on John, who has completed multiple marathons and coached at Bredagh Gaelic Club in Belfast for over 25 years. The May Day bank holiday marathon commenced as usual, with John and his running companions departing from the gates of Stormont. Photographs captured him on the course before he collapsed at the 13-mile mark at Finaghy crossroads in south Belfast. He retains no memory of the incident. Eyewitnesses reported that he paused, leaned against a barrier, and within moments, his legs buckled, causing him to fall to the ground. A cardiac nurse, who had made a last-minute decision to change her viewing location for the marathon, approached John and placed him in the recovery position. Unable to detect a pulse, she called for help. A police officer then dialled 999, and a protective cordon was established around him. A defibrillator located in a nearby church could not be accessed because it was not registered with The Circuit – the national defibrillator network that supplies NHS ambulance services with crucial information regarding the locations of these machines across the UK. Peter O’Hare had not intended to be a spectator at the Belfast Marathon. He was scheduled to participate but withdrew on the morning of the race due to an injury, guided by instinct. The 44-year-old, who is employed by the medical devices company Stryker and oversees their defibrillators, was driving through Finaghy when he observed someone had collapsed. He stated that his training immediately activated. “I went over to see if I could help,” he recounted. “I shouted for someone to start CPR, and I raced to get the defibrillator that I keep in the car.” “He was completely passed out; his eyes were rolling in his head, and he was clearly not breathing – essentially when you are in cardiac arrest, you are dead.” Peter expressed that he had never envisioned having to resuscitate someone, describing the experience as unforgettable. “I am responsible for breaking his ribs—I wasn’t prepared for that—after a few compressions I could feel his chest collapse under my hands.” He added, “That was quite frightening, but I just kept going and listening to the instructions on the defib, which talk you through what to do.” “When I was performing CPR, the machine said good compressions, and it was like having someone standing over your shoulder in a stressful situation saying, ‘keep doing what you are doing, you are doing ok’.” John was transported by ambulance to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital, where he spent the subsequent three days in intensive care. He only became aware of the duration of his hospitalization upon hearing a nurse remark over his bed: “That’s the marathon man – he’s alive.” Remarkably, the voice belonged to the CPR nurse. John commented that it felt like a very long day, to which the nurse informed him that three days had passed since their initial encounter. Wiping away tears, John characterized the CPR nurse, the police officer, and Peter as his “angels” who emerged from the crowd to preserve his life. Interviewed for the first time side-by-side, they are recounting the events of that day to support the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) endeavor to establish a network of properly registered defibrillators across Northern Ireland. Fearghal McKinney, head of the BHF NI, stated that prompt access to a correctly registered defibrillator could be pivotal in determining survival. The BHF is appealing to all owners of defibrillators, whether located in a public place, business, or community, to register their devices and participate in compiling a map of 100,000 defibrillators. Merely possessing a device and mounting it on a wall does not ensure its operational status. Several months prior, John escorted his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in Donegal. Now participating in parkrun again, he expressed profound gratitude to his family. He remarked, “The love I have for my family, who’ve also been traumatised, is enormous,” adding, “Every day is about making memories.”