When Cristina Tanner, Partnerships Manager of NW Hearts Charity attended a networking event, she didn’t expect to hear the story about how a cycling accident revealed an unknown heart condition from one of the other guests. Stephen Curran has kindly shared his story with NW Hearts Charity in order to raise awareness about unknown heart conditions and urges people to have their heart health checked regularly.
“I’m Stephen Curran. My heart health story started unexpectedly when I was 13, back in 1984. I was out cycling with friends, had a bad crash and ended up in hospital with several broken bones. Whilst I was there, doctors noticed my blood pressure was raised.
After a series of tests, they discovered I had a kink (coarctation) in my aorta which was restricting blood flow around my body and pushing up my blood pressure. I underwent surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital to remove the coarctation and insert a gauze graft to widen the aorta to a healthy size. Over time, natural tissue formed over the graft and it dissolved, leaving a newly shaped section of aorta, with only minimal scar tissue as evidence of what had been done. I was incredibly fortunate. Before the crash I was fit, active and competitive, excelling at most sports. I could easily have gone through life without the defect being detected and was later told it might have caused serious complications in middle age; my misfortune at the time was transformed into a huge stroke of luck.
The one sport I never excelled at before the operation was long-distance running. I couldn’t understand why, no matter how hard I tried, I always finished near the back in school cross-country. It was frustrating because I was used to doing well in all other sports. Consequently, it gave me enormous pleasure (and probably frustrated friends who had to put up with my over-competitiveness) when, in my first cross-country race back after 12 months of recuperation, I came second.
To add fuel to the fire with my friends, I was picked out at Manchester United’s FA Cup celebration at the Town Hall in Albert Square. I found myself sharing cheese sandwiches, pineapple and sausage on a stick with heroes like Bryan Robson and Frankie, Frankie, Frankie, Frankie Stapleton! For a young lad from North Manchester, it didn’t get much better than that.
Over the years I’ve continued to be monitored and cared for by the NHS. I’ve seen remarkable advances in technology, but it’s the NHS people who matter the most. The surgeon who carried out my operation, and the consultants and nurses who have looked after me since. It brings a tear to my eye as I write, and my gratitude to them cannot adequately be expressed in words.
I’m now 55, and at my most recent consultation my consultant told me that, whilst there was always a chance the coarctation could re-emerge, she is now very confident that in my case it is unlikely.
I would urge everyone to get their heart health checked regularly, almost as strongly as I would urge people to fight tooth and nail to protect our NHS. I am living proof of the miracles this unassailable institution, and the human brilliance within it, can achieve.”