Central Coast wives raising funds for defribrillators

KELLY Drover and Julie Hughes are members of a club no loving wife would ever willingly join.

Julie Hughes, Tony Collins, Karen Galpin and Kelly Drover, learn how to use the new defibrillator, at Mingaletta, Umina Beach. Picture:Peter Clark

KELLY Drover and Julie Hughes are members of a club no loving wife would ever willingly join.

They were both happily married and raising their first child when their otherwise fit and healthy husbands dropped dead without so much as a warning.

Mrs Hughes established the Michael Hughes Foundation in memory of her husband who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on April 29, 2013.

Julie Hughes, Reg Watman, Karen Galpin and Kelly Drover, learn how to use the new defibrillator, at Mingaletta, Umina Beach. Picture:Peter Clark

He was just 38 and a new dad to Georgia.

Mrs Drover’s husband Matthew went into cardiac arrest two months earlier and died in bed. He was just 33 and the couple had a young preschooler James.

Mrs Dover almost lost her father Tony Collins when he too went into sudden cardiac arrest unwinding with a few beers at the Florida Beach Bar at Terrigal earlier this year.

Luckily for him there was a defibrillator handy at the pub and he was revived.

Mrs Drover and her 65-year-old dad have joined forces to raise awareness and funds for the Michael Hughes Foundation.

Tony Collins, (second from left), with his daughter Kelly Drover, Chris Beath, Florida Beach Bar manager and Diandra Jones, duty manager, at Crowne Plaza, Terrigal. Picture:Peter Clark

Last month she completed the Stadium Stomp, an epic 6300 stair climb up and down the bays of both the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium, raising more than $1000.

“Dad had some fundraising events in his shop and has raised over $2500, enough to donate a defibrillator to a local community group,” Mrs Drover said.

“During his rehab following his cardiac arrest he met a guy named Phil (Pulbrook) who was also attending rehab and is on the committee of Mingaletta (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corp at Umina Beach).

“He said we will have to look at getting one so Dad thought why don’t we fundraise for them.”

Mathew Drover suffered a cardiac arrest and died on February 28, 2013. Source: Supplied

She said given Mingaletta strove to improve the health, well being and future prospects of Aboriginal people on the Woy Woy peninsula it was an obvious choice.

Mrs Drover and Mr Collins will also have a street stall on Terrigal Esplanade on August 27 followed by a stall at Terrigal Beach Markets the next week giving defibrillator demonstrations and selling raffle tickets.

Their goal, as with Mrs Hughes’ foundation in her husband’s name, is to make defibrillators as common as fire extinguishers.

With more than $2000 worth of prizes on offer including a one-year gym membership, Mrs Drover said she hoped to raise enough to donate further defibrillators to community groups.

Julie Hughes and her 3-year-old daughter Georgia pictured in Dundas. Picture: Toby Zerna