A mother of three has paid tribute to gardaí who she says saved her baby daughter’s life by performing vital first aid and rushing them to University Hospital Kerry in a Garda car.
“Saturday was the worst night of my life,” said Donna O’Loughlin as she recounted how she and her husband Joe had just finished giving seven-week-old baby Precious her night-time feed, when her daughter began to choke.
“It was just the last ounce of a bottle and she seemed to choke on it. She couldn’t breathe for over two minutes. She was then lifeless and floppy in my arms. She was grey. Her tongue was hanging out of her mouth,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
“I passed her to my husband Joe and he started to panic, Joe never panics. We thought she was dead.”
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The couple, who live in Athea near the Kerry border in Co Limerick rang University Hospital Kerry in Tralee, as it was the nearest hospital, but Ms O’Loughlin said they were unable to get an answer as the emergency department was busy. They realised they could not wait for an ambulance and decided to ring the Garda.
However, as the nearest Garda station, Abbeyfeale, was closed Ms O’Loughlin made a call to Listowel in Co Kerry, as the nearest station between them and Tralee. “I was going to tell them we would have to speed to hospital, not to pull us over.”
Ms O’Loughlin said she spoke to Garda Eleanor Shiels, who calmed her. “I explained what was happening she told me drive to Listowel and they would get me to the hospital.”
“They were waiting outside the station and before the car fully stopped they had the door open and me and Precious out. I said please just help her.”
Garda Mark Cushen took Precious and performed first aid while Garda Ryan Hill rang the hospital in Tralee “to say we were on the way”.
“Garda Mark was just so good with her while Garda Ryan worked on keeping Joe calm,” she said.
A high-speed dash in a Garda car brought them to the hospital emergency department, where nurses were waiting, and Precious was whisked away for resuscitation.
Paying tribute to the gardaí she said: “They kept me talking and even cracked a few jokes. They stayed with me in the hospital until they knew precious was resuscitated.”
“I truly believe they saved my daughter’s life. The guards get negative media a lot. But I truly believe God sent them to save Precious. They were amazing to me and I can’t thank them enough. The Listowel guards are incredible and thanks to them acting so fast I have my baby here with me. I’m forever in their debt,” she said.
Ms O’Loughlin told The Irish Times that Precious was still scheduled for further tests but so far all the news about the baby’s health was excellent.
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