Taking the plunge to help heart fund (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Taking the plunge to help heart fund

2:34pm Saturday 11th July 2009 in Bradford By Claire Lomax

Members of Bradford Heart Support Group are used to boosting care for heart patients.

Earlier this year they contributed half – about £3,600 – of the cost of blood pressure monitors for the cardiology department at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

And they play a role in the fight against coronary heart disease, which remains the biggest killer in the district.

Now they are backing the British Heart Foundation’s Beating Hearts in Bradford Appeal which aims to raise £105,000 to fund a 3D echocardiograph machine for the hospital and for the benefit of local heart patients.

The heart scanner will allow detailed assessments of heart patients and allow doctors to make swifter diagnoses.

Eric Wilson, 78, of Idle, runs the swimming group which meets at Shipley Swimming Pool. Members of the group sponsored pool attendant Omar Hussain, 22, and his mother Barbara McGuffie, 63, when they completed the Edinburgh marathon earlier this year in aid of the Telegraph & Argus-backed appeal. “We all clubbed together and raised over £100,” said Mr Wilson, who suffered a heart attack in 1993 shortly before he was due to retire.

Two years later he had a quadruple heart bypass and hasn’t looked back since.

“Afterwards I was like a different man,” said the father-of-two and grandfather-of-five.

Mr Wilson uses his experience to help other heart patients as a volunteer visitor on ward 22, the cardiology ward at BRI.

“We have a chat and generally put people at ease,” he said. “They see we are former heart patients and still walking around and doing active things.

“We also make them aware of the heart support group and what we do.”

The group is a registered charity and has around 400 members. As well as the swimming group, there is a walking group, luncheon club, and exercise group.

They produce a newsletter four times a year and run a telephone helpline.

“It is all about keeping active,” said Mr Wilson.

“As a group we run raffles and events and raise money as well and we will certainly be backing the Beating Hearts in Bradford Appeal.”

To find out more about Bradford Heart Support Group, contact Joan Armitage on (01274) 571955.

• Read more about the Beating Hearts Appeal