Father’s premature death sparks fundraising event

Father’s premature death sparks fundraising event

26 August 2015

TWO local sisters are using the tragedy of their father’s death to raise awareness of the warning signs of a heart attack.

Heidi and Emma Carlisle lost their father Harry in 1996 when he died from a massive heart attack when they were very young.

The Comber women are organising a family fun day on Saturday, September 5, to raise money for Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke in a bid to alert to public to the signs of heart attacks.

Heidi was just nine years old and Emma was five when Harry passed away at the age of just 54. Despite being so young, the girls have very fond memories of their dad. 

Their mother Joan recalls how devoted her husband, who was the head groom at a local riding school, was to his children. 

“When Heidi was born, I almost had to make an appointment to see her, Harry spent so much time with her,” she said. “He would take her out all day long, carrying all the milk and baby supplies he needed to look after her.”

Unfortunately the girls did not have their dad for long. Harry had been diagnosed with angina shortly after marrying Joan. However, his condition was under control and he had given up smoking.

One winter’s day in January 1996 Harry and a friend were out walking the dog. 

“The dog got caught in briars on a walkway beside some water and couldn’t get itself free,” explained Joan. “The water level was so high that Harry thought the dog might drown so he ran up the road to get help. By the time he was back though, the dog had freed itself.

“Harry had a physical job but maybe the exertion of the run was too much for him. Suddenly he grabbed hold of the wall and that was it. He had a massive heart attack. As he grabbed the wall, his hand got trapped between the stones of the wall. That was the only thing that prevented him from falling into the water himself.

“Harry’s friend ran to a neighbour’s house and they phoned the ambulance and me. When I arrived, I noticed the skin behind his ears had turned purple and I just knew it was all over. The ambulance crew worked on him but there was nothing they could do.

“In the weeks leading up to his death, Harry’s angina had not been getting worse. He hadn’t mentioned feeling unwell. He had taken flu earlier that winter and that had taken a lot out of him. But there were no warning signs that I was aware of.

“There is nothing I can do to change what happened to my family, but what I want to say to others is this: If you are fortunate enough to have warning signs, please do not ignore them. I know it is strange to say someone would be ‘fortunate’ to have warning signs of a heart attack, but those symptoms are there to give you the chance to get medical help.”

NICHS has launched its STOP campaign in an effort to make people aware of what the symptoms are and to save lives. STOP is an acronym for:

S Something’s not right — symptoms can start slowly.

T Tightness or pain in the chest, pain in the arm, neck or jaw.

O Other symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea or sweating.

P Phone 999 immediately — the ambulance crew will do an ECG.

As well as supporting NICHS’s campaign to make people aware of the symptoms of a heart attack, Harry’s daughters are now dedicated fundraisers for the charity. 

Emma explains: “After my dad’s death, my mum started to hold barbecues to raise money for NI Chest Heart & Stroke. I have two children of my own now and I wanted to organise something for young families so three summers ago I organised my first family fun day. It has got bigger and bigger so now my sister Heidi has been working on it too.”

Heidi continued: “This year we already have 40 stalls confirmed, including 23 craft, food stalls, four inflatables, face painting, pony rides, bungee trampolines, music, vintage lorries and cars, Mercedes, Scania and DAF lorries, and animals. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us and everyone will have a great day. Please come along and help us raise money in our dad’s memory.”

The family fun day takes place on Saturday, September 5, from 11am to 3pm, on Castle Espie Road, Comber. Admission is £3 for adults and children go free. For more information contact Heidi on by email at ho2511@icloud.com or through their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/charityfamilyfunday.