Friends for life

By Paul Dunlop
IAN Thomas has delivered heartfelt thanks to the people who gave him the “miracle” of life.
Mr Thomas, coowner and board member of Star News Group, is making a strong and steady recovery from a serious cardiac arrest at this year’s Pakenham Show.
He collapsed suddenly while having a cup of tea after a long day working at the show in March.
Mr Thomas said he owed his life to the quick response of two show committee colleagues, the efforts of medical professionals, and to the support and prayers of family and hundreds of friends.
“I just feel the whole thing is a miracle,” he said.
“To have the people around me that I had at the time, and the response from the community ever since, it is just incredible, absolutely overwhelming.”
Mr Thomas spoke about the incident to help highlight the importance of firstaid training. The Gazette is starting a campaign to encourage residents to learn what may prove to be lifesaving skills.
Mr Thomas paid special tribute to Harry Maas and David Harrison whose skill and calm in a crisis brought him back from the brink.
Mr Maas and Mr Harrison were beside Mr Thomas within seconds of his collapse.
Experienced rescue volunteers, the pair immediately began performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and continued to help after paramedics arrived.
Mr Maas said it was immediately clear that Mr Thomas was in a bad way.
“He had gone stiff, we had trouble finding a pulse, he wasn’t breathing,” he said.
“It was borderline stuff a couple of times but we kept at it.”
The prompt action of the two men highlighted the value of firstaid training.
Incredibly, another man’s life was saved in Kooweerup the next day because of similar action by a neighbour.
Pakenham ambulance team manager Simon Thompson said Mr Maas and Mr Harrison definitely made the difference.
“They saved Ian’s life, no doubt about that,” he said.
Mr Thompson and partner Michael Jeavons were part of a team of paramedics who treated Mr Thomas.
He was taken to Dandenong Hospital and spent eight days in intensive care before later moving to Knox hospital.
Mr Thomas said he remembered nothing of his collapse, nor the two weeks either side of the incident.
He underwent several operations and progress was monitored around the clock by doctors and family members who kept a careful record of Mr Thomas’ painstaking road to recovery.
The day he was declared well enough to begin rehabilitation was a huge milestone, daughter Kerrie Rodgers said.
She said she had lost count of the number of blood tests and xrays her father had while in hospital.
Mr Thomas said that he still had trouble believing it had all actually happened.
“I was there but I can’t remember a thing about it, which is probably a good thing from my point of view.”
His wife Dorothy said the family’s spirits were buoyed during the ordeal by the hundreds of cards, letters, phone calls and messages of support they received from people wishing Ian well.
Mr Harrison, who has maintained close contact with Mr Maas and the Thomas family since the incident, said it was a great thrill to see Mr Thomas up and about again, sporting the familiar smile for which he is renowned.
“He is just a lovely man,” Mr Harrison said.
Mr Thomas said he felt better every day and even made the trip to the MCG on Monday to watch his beloved Collingwood play Melbourne.
He was sad to see his team lose, but has plenty of other reasons to feel glad to be alive.
“I asked one of the doctors recently what I could expect in terms of a recovery and he told me 80 per cent,” Mr Thomas said.
“I aim to do a bit better than that.”