“I answered a panicked knock on my front door to find a really distressed couple carrying a very young girl, around two years old.”
This is John Kavanagh, a volunteer with the Irish Red Cross in Wexford for more than 40 years.
“The toddler had stopped breathing,” he says. “Her parents had been on route to the after-hours medical service when the child’s condition worsened and they suddenly realised time was against them. Luckily, they knew where I lived and that I was first-aid trained.”
As an emergency medical technician (EMT) he has helped many people in distress over the years.
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“I performed CPR on the child and thankfully, within a few minutes, she began breathing again. I’ll never forget how relieved the parents were ... as well as myself. I was so glad I could help and the little girl was okay.”
Kavanagh’s friend Damien Dineen, also a volunteer with the Irish Red Cross, has also been on-hand when someone has been in need.
“Recently at work, a colleague came to me and explained that she wasn’t feeling well,” says Dineen. “She had pain down her arm and couldn’t feel her lips. She was very pale, and her lips were slightly blue. I sat her down and took her pulse and immediately carried out stroke protocol. After ringing for an ambulance, I was able to keep her comfortable in our first-aid room and constantly monitor her until the ambulance crew took over.
“The lady had experienced a minor stroke which could have had much more serious consequences if I didn’t have the experience to read the signs. I certainly would not have been able to deal with that situation without the excellent training we get at the Irish Red Cross.”
Sarah Barker is also an EMT and volunteer with the Irish Red Cross, in its Dundalk branch. “Late one night I was feeding Oisín, my two-week-old new baby, and I suddenly realised that he was choking,” she says. “At first, I was calm. I started giving Oisín back slaps, trying to dislodge whatever was caught in his throat, telling myself he’d cough it up and everything would be fine. I truly believed it would pass in a few seconds. But then it changed. So quickly. He turned blue. His little body went completely limp in my arms, lifeless. That’s when I realised, he wasn’t breathing.”
“I began performing CPR including rescue breaths and compressions, using two fingers. Thankfully, within about a minute, Oisín started breathing again. He started to get sick I quickly rolled him on to his side and then I burst into tears because I was so relieved; vomiting meant that he was okay, his airway was clear and he was breathing again. The relief was indescribable.
“My message to everyone who will listen is: learn CPR. You never know when you might need it.”
Irish Red Cross volunteers, which include Kavanagh, Dineen and Barker, collectively give one million minutes of their time every month to help people in their community by providing first-aid cover, training people in first aid and CPR, responding to medical emergencies and supporting people affected by severe weather events such as storms and flooding.
Kavanagh says being an Irish Red Cross volunteer is a way of life for him: “I’ve been doing this for over four decades now, so I just can’t imagine not doing it. Since I did my initial first-aid course all those years ago, I’ve been hooked. I enjoy meeting new people, working alongside my fellow volunteers and while it has its serious side, of course, it is great craic. Being able to use my skills to help other people and make a difference in their lives – it’s very rewarding.”
Now, as Ireland enters the winter storm season, the Irish Red Cross is calling on the public to help strengthen that vital volunteer network through A Million Minutes, a new national fundraising and awareness campaign.
Extreme weather and other emergencies are placing increasing demands on communities and volunteers. The aim of A Million Minutes is to help strengthen the capacity and capability of the Irish Red Cross network of branches and volunteers across the country, ensuring they are equipped and ready to respond when their communities need them most as Deirdre Garvey, secretary general of the Irish Red Cross is well aware.
“Crises don’t wait until we’re ready,” she says. “We need to be prepared for emergencies, be it a severe storm, flooding, a fire or pandemic. It is our role as the Irish Red Cross to respond when needed and help communities recover stronger. We are preparing by upskilling our volunteers and increasing the capacity of our branches to ensure they can be there when needed. With the support of the public and businesses we can do even more. We are inviting everyone to take the Irish Red Cross one-hour challenge – be that a sponsored run, walk, cycle [or] swim – and help us raise A million Minutes – essentially help us buy more vital preparation time, to train our volunteers, maintain and upgrade their equipment, and make our branch network even stronger and better able to respond to their communities in times of crisis.”
There are countless ways in which Irish Red Cross volunteers across the country support stronger communities in Ireland, including providing first aid cover at events and sporting occasions, enabling people to safely enjoy events such as the Dublin City Marathon, Electric Picnic and the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle; training community groups and schoolchildren in first aid and boosting life-saving community skills; transferring patients with mobility or transport challenges to medical appointments, ensuring they can receive critical continuity of care; carrying out door-to-door checks on vulnerable people isolated due to storms or flooding, bringing essential supplies and human connection; running community cafes to combat social isolation and foster connection and community cohesion; offering therapeutic hand care massages in community hospitals and nursing homes, easing painful joints but more crucially bringing conversation and connection; and supporting migrants and refugees to rebuild their lives through a range of initiatives including integration cafes and other social outlets.
Tim Kelleher, a volunteer with the Irish Red Cross Clonakilty branch in Cork, is passionate about volunteering, as are all seven members of the family – his wife, Annemarie, and their five children, aged between six and 17 years old.
“My son Patrick was just a toddler when he swallowed some playdoh,” says Tim. “We almost lost him on the way to the hospital and only for the fact that I was trained in first aid and CPR, he wouldn’t be with us today. Ever since that day I swore I would commit myself 110 per cent to the Irish Red Cross and to helping others through first aid.”
To support the training and equipping of Irish Red Cross volunteers so they can continue to help communities in Ireland, get involved with A Million Minutes. Visit amillionminutes.com to kick start your one-hour challenge or to make a donation
