Heart attack survivor praises Newtownabbey leisure centre staff

Tony Daly spoke to this newspaper a year on from the incident at the Church Road facility’s fitness suite and was keen to thank the people who came to his aid.

The 55-year-old explained: “I was feeling grand ahead of suffering my heart attack on June 20 2022. I’d finished work and went straight to the gym, where I met my wife Joanne.

"I’d only been there for around 10 minutes when I started feeling dizzy and then I collapsed.

"I’ve no memories from the incident. It was worse for Joanne because she witnessed it.

"Staff were on the scene immediately and performed CPR, before using the defibrillator. They also spoke to the emergency services and assisted Joanne.

"My first memories are from a day or two later when I woke up on the ward at the Royal, wondering why I was there.

"My short-term memory was a bit jaded at the start and I kept asking the same questions. Doctors had told my wife there could be some damage, but thankfully, as time progressed, things got back to normal."

Tony got out of hospital at the end of June following the passing of his mother-in-law.

The north Belfast resident stated: “My wife’s mother passed away on June 28. I said to the doctors that I’d to get home to be with my family and be at the funeral.

"They said that if I left, I’d be leaving against their will. My wife was also saying I should continue my recovery in hospital.

"The funeral was on July 1. They rushed through tests for me the day before and I was able to be discharged later that evening. i guess I would’ve been in hospital for longer if I hadn’t got out for the funeral.

"My recovery was slow and I felt quite weak. At the end of September I was working with the Trust’s cardio team. I then progressed to a 12-week programme at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre and this really helped.

"I was with other guys who had similar experiences. Some had suffered heart attacks or cardiac arrests. The training was very gentle at the start, but looking back I understand why. I don’t think I could have done much more at the time."

Thanking everyone who helped him in the wake of his medical emergency, Tony added: “Words can’t express how thankful I am. The staff at the Valley jumped on me really quickly and starting giving me CPR and using the defibrillator. The NIAS guys supported me on my way to hospital and the medical professionals at the Royal were brilliant. I owe my life to them all.”

On the anniversary of the incident, Tony and Joanne visited the Valley to thank the staff who had assisted him.

During the visit, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr Mark Cooper said: “Council is committed to providing training for staff to prepare them to deal with incidents like this. All attendants receive two hours training every month from The Royal Lifesaving Society. I’m proud of the staff who saved Tony’s life.”