An iconic British Heart Foundation red bench has been unveiled near Enniskillen Castle, to recognise a Fermanagh runner who had a cardiac arrest – and lived to tell the tale.

Adam Cooke had a cardiac arrest in March 2024 while asleep in bed and thanks to the incredible instincts of his golden retriever Polly, barking to wake up Adam’s wife Hannah, who performed CPR and phoned the emergency services, Adam’s life was saved.

Adam, 39, a draughtsman for a steel company and keen runner, described that “normal” Monday in March when he went to work and when he came home, went for his “usual” evening run.

Adam said: “Hannah and I put our son Alfie, who was one at the time, to bed and then went to bed ourselves around 9.30pm.

“The next thing I remember was six days later, waking up in the cardiac ward in hospital.”

Adam Cooke from Ballinamallard with wife Hannah, son Alfie and dog Polly. An iconic red British Heart Foundation bench has been installed at the foreground of Enniskillen Castle, along the Broadmeadow path in living tribute to Adam, having survived a cardiac arrest two years ago. Pictured alongside Adam and family are Fearghal McKinney, Head of British Heart Foundation, Councillor Shirley Hawkes, Vice Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Parks Manager Stewart Burns. (Image: BHF.)

Hannah, 33, describes how she was awoken around 12.45am by their dog Polly’s barking, which was unusual during the night, so she checked the time on her phone.

Hannah said: “Polly would bark the odd time if she hears anything as she sleeps in the kitchen which is directly below our bedroom. She’s very in tune with Adam, and when she barks I usually turn to Adam to tell him. That’s when I suddenly realised he was breathing very noisily.

“When I heard the noise Adam was making I sat bolt upright in bed as I previously worked as a carer and it hit me that it was the same noise I’ve heard when people are taking their final breaths.”

Hannah rang the emergency services and they advised her to pull Adam off the bed and onto the floor immediately and start CPR.

Hannah continued: “Adam is so much bigger than I am so I really don’t know how I got the strength but I managed to roll him off the bed and the call handler talked me through CPR. He was amazing at keeping me focused on what I had to do, as I was completely terrified.

“When I was giving Adam CPR, I could tell his whole body was fighting to come back. Sometimes he would open his eyes and I was shouting, this isn’t your time to go. I knew he was meant to stay alive, it was fate.”

Adam Cooke from Ballinamallard with wife Hannah, son Alfie and dog Polly. An iconic red British Heart Foundation bench has been installed at the foreground of Enniskillen Castle, along the Broadmeadow path in living tribute to Adam, having survived a cardiac arrest two years ago. Pictured alongside Adam and family are Fearghal McKinney, Head of British Heart Foundation, Councillor Shirley Hawkes, Vice Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Parks Manager Stewart Burns. (Image: BHF.)

After around seven minutes, the ambulance, community responder and two paramedics all arrived together and ran straight in to take over from Hannah.

Hannah said: “I collapsed outside the room in complete shock and a neighbour ran in and helped me.

“The paramedics continued CPR and used a defibrillator to shock Adam back to life. My memory was they kept saying he was back and then they lost him again.”

The paramedics shocked Adam seven times in total between his house and the hospital before they could get his heart rate normalised.

Adam was taken to ICU in the local hospital and Hannah mentions the “indescribable relief” that she and family members felt when the doctor told them Adam had survived.

Hannah said: “Polly alerted me, possibly within seconds of Adam’s cardiac arrest, she was the first responder. Because of her, I was able to start CPR almost immediately. The paramedics and first responders were amazing, they arrived so quickly and took action immediately.”

Adam said: “I have always been very fit, running was a very important part of my life for over 20 years, and I took part in countless races from 5k distances up to multiple marathons. I was a member of Enniskillen Running Club and Omagh Harriers, I ran four or five times a week and did a bit of gym work. My resting heart rate was usually around 38 – in the hospital after my cardiac arrest they said I had a heart rate of an Olympic athlete, and this worked in my favour for recovery.”

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He continued: “I remember going for the run on the Monday evening before my cardiac arrest and my next memory is almost a week later on the Sunday. I woke up in the hospital and the medical staff were all amazing at explaining everything but it felt very surreal.”

Adam was in hospital for three and a half weeks for monitoring and testing before an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) was fitted and he was discharged. Adam mentions that during that time in hospital he “absorbed” all the information he could on his situation and found the British Heart Foundation leaflets and online information easy to understand and “a real comfort” to him.

Adam has since received a number of genetic tests and screening tests at Belfast City Hospital where he has been given a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and will continue to have regular check-ups.

DCM is a disease of your heart muscle which enlarges your heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle), causing your heart’s muscle wall to stretch and become thin (dilate). This makes it harder for your heart to pump blood out of your heart and around your body.

Adam spoke about his recovery since his cardiac arrest: “I have recovered extremely well but instead of running as much, I have adapted and generally enjoy being outdoors keeping fit. Sometimes if I over-exert myself I can feel a bit out of breath and dizzy, but I now know to look out for it and rest if that happens.

“I’m a routine-driven person and for most of my adult life, running had been embedded in that. It was tough to accept at first that I couldn’t exercise to that level anymore but I’ve got a new routine and I’m happy. The important thing for me is that I’ve got an ICD which gives me real comfort and is peace of mind for us all.”

Adam’s bench is situated at the foreground of Enniskillen Castle, along the Broadmeadow path.

The Ballinamallard man said: “I’m delighted that my bench has been placed in such a popular setting where many families visit regularly, as it is important to me that the bench is there for the community to use.

“Having a bench in my name means a lot to me as it’s a reminder of how precious life is and how grateful I am for the care I’ve received to give me a second chance at life as well as the importance of the research work that BHF does.”