Maureen Kelly and her daughter Eleanor hold up a picture of Darragh, who died of SADS when he was 21.
The mother of a former Dundalk IT student who died from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) more than a decade ago has revealed how she saved her daughter’s life because she was “like a dog with a bone” and insisted her family get screened for potentially deadly heart problems.
Maureen Kelly told The Irish Independent how her son Darragh (21) was a “very healthy, fit kid” when he dropped dead from SADS on October 1st 2003.
In the days leading up to his death, Darragh – who studied construction engineering in Dundalk – had been feeling unwell.
He collapsed and died in his room at about 8.30 in the evening. He was found by a housemate just 20 minutes after he had been speaking to his mother on the phone and told her that he felt a lot better, having followed her advice to stay in bed, take paracetamol and plenty of fluids.
He had experienced flu-like symptoms for two days prior to his death; on the day he died he had complained of heart palpitations, but felt a lot better having slept. Darragh was getting dressed and collapsed onto the floor beside his bed.
“He played rugby, soccer and Gaelic all his life. Losing him was the worst nightmare you could ever imagine. It’s just devastating. Part of me died with Darragh,” said the mother from Greystones, Co Wicklow.
With not much known about SADS at the time, Maureen was determined to have her husband Matthew, and three daughters Orla, Ruth and Eleanor screened for heart arrhythmia problems.
She was eventually referred to Dr Joe Galvin, who went on to found the Family Heart Screening Centre at the Mater Hospital, which costs €300,000 a year to run.
And her determination resulted in her youngest daughter Eleanor being diagnosed with Long QT syndrome – one of the conditions that can cause SADS. Eleanor, now 26, was fitted with a defibrillator in 2005.
Just six months later she suffered a potentially deadly cardiac arrhythmia. The defibrillator saved her life and since then she has had four episodes.
“It’s very possible she would have died if I hadn’t been like a dog with a bone,” said Maureen.
“Her life has definitely been saved. It gives fantastic peace of mind. Eleanor lives a normal life, with some limitations.”
Every week in Ireland one person under the age of 35 dies from SADS.
Heart Appeal month is now under way at the Mater Foundation and is aiming to raise much-needed funds for the Mater Hospital’s Family Heart Screening Clinic.
Source: Irish Independent
