Cardiac patient Steve Ferris’ sponsored walk raises almost £1,000 for British Heart Foundation
A CARDIAC patient is well on the way to raising £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation.
Steve Ferris has endured multiple bouts of open heart surgery, has had three replacement heart valves fitted and had ICDs [Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators] implanted six times.
He said: “I’ve been told I shouldn’t be here - but here I am!”
On Saturday, April 12, Mr Ferris completed a 10k sponsored walk from the Dundas Arms in Kintbury to the Lock, Stock and Barrel in Newbury in aid of the British Heart Foundation [BHF].
His walk took him along canal towpaths similar to the one where he collapsed in 2004, as reported in the Newbury Weekly News at the time.
An NWN reporter who found him struggling for breath called emergency services and Mr Ferris was airlifted to hospital.
On Saturday’s sponsored walk he was accompanied by his training partner, adopted rescue dog, Lilly, and he received a hero’s welcome by his family, including his grandchildren, upon his arrival at The Lock, Stock and Barrel canalside pub .
Mr Ferris said he wanted to thank some people on a houseboat he met along the way and who sponsored him.
He has so far raised £960 and added: “The BHF has helped halve the number of people dying from heart and circulatory disease in the UK but sadly every day hundreds of people lose their lives.
“It's only thanks to support from people like us that the BHF can create new treatments and discover new cures.”
If you’d like to top up Mr Ferris’ total and help him top £1,000, visit his JustGiving page here: https://shorturl.at/16MOL
