Woman’s illness leads to heartwarming tale

A DONABATE woman who defied death twice has published her debut novel, the writing of which helped keep her heart in working order.

Irene Lawlor’s extraordinary life is as riveting as her new book

‘Discovering Ireland’, which was recently launched.

Irene turned to writing when she was forced to make

“unwanted

? changes in her life having been diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) and heart failure.

The diagnosis made in 2009 put a label on a serious condition, which had caused her heart to stop twice in the previous two years.

“The first time it happened I had just finished acting in a Shakespearean play when my heart started to palpitate,

? Irene told Northside People.

“Having suffered palpitations since I was a teenager, I didn’t pay much attention to them especially as they were normally kept under control by beta-blockers.

“However, on this occasion, I fell unconscious and woke to find myself being loaded into an ambulance.

?

Irene’s heart went into a life-threatening arrhythmia and doctors tried to slow her heart rate. Eventually her heart stopped and she was resuscitated.

This terrifying and near-death experience was made all the more stressful by the fact that she was four months pregnant at the time.

Just three months later there was a repeat of the incident.

In September, Irene’s daughter was delivered by C-section due to the risk posed by a natural birth.

Irene was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator, which had to shock her heart into a normal rhythm five times during 2007.

She underwent two failed Cardiac Ablations procedures when doctors attempted to sear away the piece of tissue causing Irene’s heart arrhythmia.

However, on both occasions her heart rate was too fast and the procedure had to be abandoned, and resulted in more electric shocks to return it to its normal rhythm.

Soon after, she was eventually diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) and heart failure.

“I was forced to slow down and reduce my involvement in drama so that I could keep my heart rate stable,

? said Irene.

“These changes added to my depression. During my recovery, I could do nothing more than watch comedies on TV such as Friends and I liked to watch romantic comedies, which helped lift my mood.

?

It was during this time that a family member suggested she write, which she ignored at first having never written before.

But in 2009 the seed was well and truly planted and she began to write a short story, which turned into a novel, and then a self-published book.

Her debut novel

‘Discovering Ireland’ is a road-trip story about two girls who travel from Los Angeles to Connemara, in search of a Galway man they see on the Discover Ireland website, and whom one of them believes is her one true love.

Writing the book, which is filled with fun, romance and optimism, proved therapeutic for Irene who now hopes to get started on her second novel.

‘Discovering Ireland’ is available from Dubray and Manor Books bookstore and on Amazon. For more information visit www.irenelawlor.com