A woman in Limerick came to the rescue of a young boy when he collapsed outside her home on Sunday evening and she is now being hailed a hero by his family and the local community.
Amanda Begley (20) was on hand to save a 12-year-old’s life when his heart stopped beating as he walked through a field near her home. She performed CPR on Glen Carey (12) for up to 20 minutes as she waited for emergency services to arrive at the scene on Sunday night.
Reports state that the young boy’s heart stopped four times before he reached hospital, and his father stated that Glen’s heart stopped another two times in hospital. Glen was later brought to the University Hospital in Limerick before being transferred to Crumlin Children’s Hospital where he underwent heart surgery.
“She saved his life. He’s still in a very serious condition. He’s still in the ICU,” said Glen’s father Mike. “Only for that young girl being there he wouldn’t have made it so far. I owe a lot to her. She’s fantastic. She is a hero. Glen is still here.”
“I just want that girl to know that Mike and Norma would like to thank her very much for what she has done for my family,” he continued.
Ms Begley said that she was “lucky I learned” CPR, and added that she would be alright when she found out that Glen was alright. “After every few minutes he was gasping for breath. It was frightening. I lit a candle for him last night.”
“He’s not fully awake, but he’s getting there,” said Glen’s sister, Helena. “Amanda is a life-saver. She’s a hero alright.”
