Fundraiser for Galway dad who suffered full cardiac arrest while working

A fundraiser has been launched for a Galway father who suffered a full cardiac arrest while preparing to go to work.

Father-of-two Daraigh was in his kitchen in his home in Letterfrack about to leave for work on December 17 when he suffered a full cardiac arrest.

His father-in-law raised the alarm and his wife Tracy issued CPR with guidance over the phone.

Two trained local responders were at the door. In less than fifteen minutes an ambulance had arrived, as well as further responders.

They used defibrillators and administered constant CPR in hopes of getting his heart beating again.

More than twenty attempts were made to shock his heart but it was to no avail.

However, after being rushed into the emergency department in Galway his heart found a rhythm and for the next twenty-hour to forty-eight hours, Daraigh was in an unresponsive state as the incredible ICU staff worked around the clock to try and pull him away from the edge.

Despite the odds, he managed to begin to respond and thankfully has made it through to today.

A fundraiser has now been launched by his family in an attempt to help him recover.

The GoFundMe reads: "Now, he is on a new road, one that will hopefully, hopefully, end in a full recovery. However, this is not something you can simply walk away from. Daraigh’s care is complex, and a lot of time and healing will be needed.

"Uncertainties are likely to persist for some time. His kidneys, for example, have not yet recovered, and other organs have also been affected.

"The underlying heart issue has not yet been confirmed. Daraigh has type I diabetes, which adds its own complexities. In the coming weeks, as more is learned, more concrete plans will need to be put in place.

"Meanwhile, his family are scrambling to reorient and reorganise their lives around this life-changing event, and all hoping that they can recover a sense of normality, and get through the stress and anxieties of what has been a stormy passage."

The fundraiser was launched "as an option where support can be given to Daraigh and his family to navigate this rocky road, one that will hopefully see him return to his home in Baunoge, and his family out by the Corrib in Oughterard, and work towards getting back to the simple and vital things in life, time with loved ones, being there for his family, and being part of the community."

If you would like to donate you can do so here.