Longford Family makes defibrillator appeal in a bid to save lives

The family of a young county Longford man who died suddenly just over two weeks ago have appealed to local communities to carry out regular maintenance and vital checks on defibrillators to save lives.

Popular Shane Lawlor passed away unexpectedly on February 15 last after he suffered a cardiac arrest while out for a run with his wife Orla in their local village.

Glowing tributes have been paid to the highly regarded 44 year-old, from Esker Glen, Drumlish, who made great contributions to local sports and community groups.

Shane was a devoted family man, a dedicated volunteer who supported Drumlish Ballinamuck Community Games and a Gaels United soccer coach who also previously trained youngsters at Fr Manning Gaels GAA Club.

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The tragic passing of Shane, a married father of two teenagers Niamh and Cian, evoked immense shock and sadness throughout Drumlish, Ballinamuck and county Longford.

His sister Nikki Lawlor has urged local communities to check defibrillators after it emerged the battery of the nearest stationary device to Shane when he suffered his cardiac arrest was dead, rendering the device useless.

Nikki, who posted her appeal on social media, described her late brother as a 'gentleman' and said she wanted to share a 'heartbreaking experience' that has profoundly impacted her family’s life.

"My brother Shane Lawlor was 44, a young devoted married man with two teenage children and a beautiful wife whom he adored.

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"He loved life and put his heart and soul into his family and everything he cared about," she added.

Nikki has highlighted the need for communities to regularly check defibrillators with her sister Clodagh during the past week.

She said Shane was involved with many local sports teams and he regularly participated in local charity events, primarily through running, which he loved.

"Shane and his wife Orla went for a run on the morning of Saturday, February 15 like they did most weekends, the unthinkable happened and Shane collapsed from cardiac arrest just metres away from a defibrillator," Nikki said. "Tragically, we soon learned that the battery was dead, rendering the device useless in our moment of need. Apparently this is not uncommon - there are AED’s (Automated External Defibrillators) throughout the country that are not working."

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Nikki said that whilst Shane received immediate CPR he did not survive and she urged people to find out where the nearest defibrillators are located in their communities and check their status.

"This devastating loss has sparked a fire within our family to advocate for the regular maintenance and checks of defibrillators in our communities.

"Defibrillators are crucial in emergencies—every second counts when it comes to cardiac arrest.

"A functional defibrillator can double the chances of survival.

"If we had access to a working device that day, it might have made all the difference," she added.

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Nikki also encouraged local authorities and organisations to implement regular checks and maintenance schedules for all public and privately owned defibrillators.

She appealed to people to share her message with friends, family, and their local communities and said it was vital to 'act now' to save lives.

"Let’s make sure everyone understands the importance of having operational defibrillators available in case of emergencies.

"The defibrillator may not have made any difference for Shane but what if it did.

"Together, we can ensure that no one else has to go through what my family has experienced and if this post saves even one life it will not be in vain," she added.

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The Ballinamuck/Drumlish Community First Responders group rushed to the scene to assist Shane when the first defibrillator did not work arriving within eight minutes, however, despite their considerable efforts they were