During our time at Miss World we have many rehearsals where we can wear more casual attire. I have chosen to use this as an opportunity to bring awareness and highlight Irish charities by wearing a different t-shirt representing each of them for every rehearsal
Today I'm representing The Irish Heart Foundation.
Every year in Ireland almost 9,000 people die from heart disease and stroke, making it one of the nation’s biggest killers.
And on top of that, hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland are living with a heart condition or the effects of a stroke.
The Irish Heart Foundation work with stroke and heart patients and their loved ones to make sure their voices are heard.
As the national charity for the prevention of heart disease and stroke in Ireland, their work involves influencing Government policy for:
- Improved patient care and the prevention of premature death from heart conditions and stroke
- Their FAST campaign increased public and political awareness of stroke
- They advocate measures to reduce the rate of obesity in Ireland
- They campaign for greater action on the climate and health crisis
- They advocate strongly on tobacco control and were at the forefront of campaigning for the Smoking Ban.
Every policy, person, and community must work together to tackle these national health challenges.
I am honoured to have had the opportunity to join the Irish Heart Foundation for their CPR 4 schools education programme.
I shared my experience of being a doctor with the young students, and helped to deliver the CPR 4 Schools programme, which trains post-primary school students all over Ireland in the life-saving skill of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
I believe CPR is a skill everyone should learn. It could literally save a life.
During the training session, students became equipped with the new skill of CPR, including learning how to recognise a cardiac arrest, perform chest compressions, use an AED, and how to recognise a stroke.
Through the interactive training, students practiced their skills on manikins, viewed videos, and answered a series of questions.
This is a completely free programme that educates students all around the country in the life-saving skill of CPR.
70% of cardiac arrests occur in the home, so it is vital that as many people as possible around the country feel confident that they could perform CPR in an emergency.
I got to see firsthand how the training day provided not only an educational, but also an enjoyable and interactive day for the students.
I would like to say a massive well done and thank you to the schools, teachers and students who have taken the important step in starting their CPR 4 Schools commitment and of course, thank you to the Irish Heart Foundation for providing this life saving resource to students all across the country.
Currently, 86% of the secondary schools in Ireland are part of CPR 4 School. Hopefully, we can raise this figure to 100% in the future!
