Back from the dead

A NORTHSIDE man, who was dead for more than four minutes, said he would not be alive today but for the lightning quick intervention of staff at Beaumont Hospital. 

On November 24, 2015, Peter Wynne (46), a father-of-three, collapsed at his home in Woodlawn, Santry. 

Mr Wynne, who was alone in the house at the time, knew he had to get to the hospital urgently and took the decision to drive to the hospital, which is located nearby.

When he arrived at the hospital and was standing in the main lobby, he slumped to the ground.

“It was 4pm and as the area was very busy with people coming and going they had to put a screen around me,” Peter told Northside People. “A security guard, who I later found out was called Lisa, started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on me and then everything kicked into gear. 

“Two nurses, Shona and Tara, came and continued CPR and then performed automated external defibrillation (AED) on me, and ‘shocked’ me twice. 

“I was told I was ‘gone’ for more than four minutes.

“I was rushed to the cardiac unit where the doctors worked on me and brought me back to life.” 

Peter, who drives for a living, later found out that he had plaque around his arteries. He said a piece of it broke away and this caused his cardiac arrest.

“Although I was feeling unwell on the day, the attack came totally out of the blue,” he said. 

“There is old scarring on my heart and I had also suffered mini heart attacks which I didn’t know about,” he said.

“The doctors told me I was a ticking timebomb.” 

Following his dramatic admission to the hospital, Peter remained in Beaumont for four days where he was fitted with stents and had other procedures carried out.

“In January, I had an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) fitted, and six weeks later I did a stress test,” he said. “I am doing cardio rehab which is ongoing. I am okay now and am feeling well.

“I also have a Home Monitoring Unit. It’s a device that is plugged into the wall and  information about my condition is sent directly to the hospital so they are really keeping an eye on me.

“Since the incident in November and treatment in early January, the staff at Beaumont Hospital have addressed any concerns I have had relating to my condition with the utmost professionalism.”

Peter said it was only through the quick actions of the hospital’s staff that he is “here to tell the tale”. 

“The doctors, nurses, security and porters all played a part in saving my life,” he said. “Beaumont Hospital gets a lot of bad press but I can never thank these amazing staff enough. 

“I would particularly like to thank Lisa, Shona, Tara, Amy in the CCU (Coronary Care Unit) and the cardiac team under Dr Gumbrielle. They were absolutely fantastic.

“These men and women work incredibly hard but they are so understaffed. They go above and beyond the call of duty.”

Up until the day of the attack, Peter was smoking 30 to 40 cigarettes a day, and believes his illness may have been caused by a build up of stress, bad diet and lifestyle.

“To give up the cigarettes was the easiest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life,” he said.

Peter said his outlook on life has completely changed. 

“My wife even said she has noticed a change in me in that I don’t get as stressed anymore,” he added. 

Ironically, a few days before his cardiac arrest, Peter’s wife Sandra started a CPR programme. He’s hoping it will never be needed on him again following his ordeal.