THE Carcoar community is rallying behind the family of a young mother who died suddenly earlier this month.
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Lisa Bermingham, 26, suffered a massive heart attack while driving on the Mid Western Highway west of Bathurst on Friday, May 11.
The Carcoar woman was first taken to Bathurst Base Hospital and then flown to Sydney in a critical condition, but never regained consciousness.
She was declared clinically dead on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 16.
At the time of the heart attack Ms Bermingham was driving to Bathurst with her two children - Levi, four, and Ivy, two – in the car.
She was able to stop the car to avoid a serious crash.
With the car stopped in the middle of the road, other motorists went to her aid, calling emergency services and helping with the two children.
Ms Bermingham’s friend Brent van Pelt said those who knew Ms Bermingham had been shocked first by the news of her heart attack, and then her death five days later.
“The emergency services took her to Bathurst first and from there she was on life support to Sydney,” he said.
Soon after, Mr van Pelt launched a GoFundMe page to help with caring for Lisa and her two children while they were in hospital.
“They did the final testing on the Wednesday and declared that she was clinically dead, there was no brain activity,” he said.
Being a registered organ donor, Ms Bermingham’s pancreas, spleen, liver and kidneys have gone on to save four lives, something that her aunt Miriam Davies finds comfort in.
Mrs Davies said that Ms Bermingham suffered from a thyroid disorder, but the cause of the heart attack was as yet undetermined.
She said the family would not learn the cause until the coroner’s report was finalised.
The GoFundMe page is now dedicated to helping to raise Ms Bermingham’s two children.
“They’ll be staying here in Carcoar with Lisa’s mum Della and we want to do the best for them,” she said.
Ms Bermingham’s funeral will be held at the Anglican Church, Carcoar on Monday, May 28 at 11am. The family has asked for no flowers but donations welcome.
To donate towards the care of Levi and Ivy go to www.gofundme.com/family-amp-babies-of-lisa-bermingham.
Mark Logan
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
