A heartwarming Christmas miracle was recounted on Friday night’s Late Late Show as a family thanked their neighbour for saving their little boy’s life.
Five-year-old Jack Gallagher began to choke while eating spaghetti – only to be rescued by a neighbour just five weeks after she had a kidney transplant.
Lorna McSwiggan Martin, a nurse, attempted the Heimlich manoeuvre and performed CPR for 10 minutes when the boy went into cardiac arrest until paramedics arrived. He spent two days at Crumlin Children’s Hospital but is now back home in Shankill, South Dublin, in time for Santa’s Christmas Eve visit.
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Jack’s mum Louise told Late Late host Ryan Tubridy the family would be eternally grateful to Lorna as she described the “most traumatic time of our lives”. She told how on Jack’s return home his first visitor was Lorna – and her son “shared the biggest hug that will stay in my heart forever”.
Louise added: “He [Jack] didn’t understand what that hug meant to our family.” Lorna had not worked for two years due to kidney failure and her life-changing transplant was made possible thanks to the family of a deceased donor.
Louise said: “The person who saved Lorna’s life and had donated their organ to Lorna in effect had carried through and on to Jack.”
Lorna recounted how she summoned all her strength while recovering from surgery to continue with CPR on Jack who “miraculously came back to life”.
She revealed: “I am so grateful to my donor... life has changed so much, life is so much better.”
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