Life with Heart Disease

I'm regularly asked what living with coronary artery disease is, or has been like.
Well truth is there's no real way of describing it in a few words, actually there is but there may be children tuning in so you'll forgive me if I refrain on that one.
What I will say is that, to quote my cardiologist, 'I am one lucky boy.'

In January 2012, after the Christmas break, I had just resumed 'training' for a charity cycle later that year. 

On reflection, I suppose I was in pretty decent shape back then, the irony of which isn't lost on me considering what was secretly brewing in my chest!

But I had noticed within approximately one mile of setting off on the bike that I was starting to experience a niggling chest ache.
However, there were none of the classic warning symptoms like crushing pain or shortness of breath, just a sore point in the same place in my chest.
I was certain it was a muscle playing up and just cycled through it which, with the benefit of hindsight, wasn’t one of my better moves!!

After becoming aware my heart was ‘missing’ beats and knowing there was some history of heart trouble in my family, I decided to get things checked in the spring of 2012, five months after my initial symptoms. 

A few tests were carried out and all seemed ok, but a treadmill test at the beginning of September that year would reveal a very different story.

I was plodding away on the treadmill at an easy pace and very soon the same pattern arose, pain in one part of my chest which, as usual, wasn’t bad enough to make me stop.
However, the lady watching the heart monitor asked me if I was ok as she could obviously see things were going a bit pear-shaped on the screen, and after a few minutes she said 'I've seen enough' and asked her colleague to get me off the treadmill.
Long story short, I found myself admitted to the Coronary Care Unit there and then. 

A week later I was taken by ambulance to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for a cardiac catheterisation (angiogram) to see precisely what the extent of the problem was.
When I arrived, the cardiologist was standing with a copy of my treadmill result and he said 'if this is what I think it is Stephen, you have a serious problem.'
The shock of his words hit me like a wet kipper across the face, and I politely stuttered 'are you sure you've got the right patient?'

Well of course he had got the right patient, and it transpired that my left main artery stem had a critical distal lesion (90% narrowed) along with a severe distal left artery-descending lesion. By all accounts, two rather important pieces of plumbing!

The guys in 'the Royal' never pulled any punches when telling me how it was, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
I was told in no uncertain terms that I was heading for a major 'cardiac ambush' called a 'Widowmaker' and really should have been found on the road with the bike on top of me, the fact I had made it this far and still vertical and breathing was a total mystery to him, however I have my own theory on that.
There really was no doubt that the situation wasn't exactly ideal. 

A further two weeks were spent back in the Coronary Care Unit, and I then returned to Belfast where I underwent a triple heart bypass. 

Apart from a collapsed lung which was efficiently dealt with, the delicate seven and a half hour procedure went according to plan.

With monitors beeping all around, and wires and tubes coming out of me from every angle, I can also vividly remember lying in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and, to paraphrase Oliver Hardy, thinking to myself ‘well Stefano, this is another fine mess you’ve got yourself into!’ 

In the early days and months following the operation there continued to be 'little complications' along the way, but nothing that couldn't be overcome. I could barely walk in the beginning, but I had immediately set myself a goal of getting back on the bike within a few months.  

When I first got home I could just about walk 100 metres, and I did an awesome impression of a penguin in the process!

Then I managed 200 metres, then 400 metres, and within a week I was walking half a mile.

During that winter of 2012/13, my aim was to be walking about five miles which I managed to achieve, despite the best hindering intentions of some fluid on my lungs and aches and pains in places I never knew existed.
And the fluid I coughed up for months afterwards could best be compared to wallpaper paste.

Not once have I ever remotely felt sorry for myself, instead of 'why me?' I've always thought 'why not me.' However, that said, open heart surgery is not a walk in the park.
Your body, and mind in some cases, go through what is a pretty brutal, but life-saving ordeal. 

From a personal perspective, sternum pain and left leg problems still persist daily to this day, and I very often get incredibly fatigued, but I simply see these as the 'new norm' and a small price to pay...... if I didn't have them I'd think there was something wrong with me! 

Whilst heart bypass surgery and stenting is not a cure and the underlying heart disease is an ever present companion, there's absolutely no question about it, I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for these procedures.

A lot has certainly gone down since my 'argument' with the surgeon's oscillating saw and all manner of tools he had at his disposal, and from which I came off decidedly second best.

In 2015 the Grim Reaper was again on my case with two of the three bypass grafts having the audacity to totally block, something which took my cardiologist and I by complete surprise, and because of this I had to have a stent placed in the crucial Left Main Stem. 

But you know, these things only make you stronger.

In the time since undergoing major open heart surgery, I've had time to reflect and put things into perspective.

I don’t take life too seriously and certainly not for granted, silly things that used to seem important are no longer so, and I have to be careful especially on the bike.......but it is what it is.


The diagram at the beginning of this article just about sums it all up.
Life with Heart Disease really can be something of a mess at times but both the expectation and the reality have one crucial common denominator, both arrows are ultimately heading the same direction.
In Summer 2020 I will attempt to cycle 1000 miles for Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke and you can follow my build up and progress on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TickerTour/
Onwards and upwards!
Old Stefano

Lucky.... and blessed

Well that's another lap of the sun almost competed and a landmark reached that I perhaps shouldn't have, and definitely wouldn't have but for the guided skill and care of too many folk to mention.
Over the course of the past three years or so, in medical circles I have been many times called a 'Lucky Boy'. (they have also affectionately referred to me as a 'desperate case' but that's another story for another day) smile emoticon 
There is no question that I am indeed a lucky boy, not only for sending the Grim Reaper packing twice now, but I am also truly blessed for having such wonderful family and friends.
Many of these friends have come into my life in recent years, particularly in cardiology and in my workplace at Tesco Bridgewater Extra Community, and in this season for friends and family I wish to thank each and every one of you for being there.
Thank-you all for the birthday messages, and it only remains for me to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2016, and here's to absent friends.

Brief Encounter

There she sat, perched upon the edge of my bed as I gazed into her eyes.
My heart missed a beat, half a dozen he or so in fact as I waited for her next words, I could hardly bear it no longer.....................

No not a page from a romantic novel, but rather yours truly waiting for a Coronary Care Unit doctor to confirm to me that, lo and behold, at the tender age of 46 I needed major heart surgery....or it was curtains.

This was in 2012, and it's fair to say that up until then that this really was my biggest crisis in life, apart that is from the evening I was preparing to sit down to watch Brief Encounter and suddenly realised I had run out of teabags!!

Now, that fiasco was bad enough, but this latest message of joy was a different proposition entirely. I can remember lying in Coronary Care and to paraphrase Oliver Hardy thing to myself "Well Stephen, this is another fine mess you've got yourself into!''

The aforementioned surgery took place on Thursday 27th September, within four weeks of the 'Brief Encounter' (see what I did there) with my pretty doctor, and I am now at around 60% of where I was before my 'argument' with the surgeon's oscillating saw and all manner of tools he had at his disposal, and from which I came off decidedly second best.

Apart from a collapsed lung during the surgery, everything went ok. 
When I first got home I could barely walk 100 metres, that then became 200 metres....then I managed 400 metres and so forth, and within a week I was walking half a mile.
During that winter of discontent, my aim was to get up to about 5 miles which, despite the best hindering intentions of a bit of fluid on my lungs and unbelievable muscle ache in places I never knew existed, I managed to achieve. However, my biggest focus was getting back on the bike.

Approx. 4 months after my op I decided I would have my first cycle 'sortie' down the road. 3 miles was my absolute limit that day but that didn't matter, I was back on the bike.
Over the next few weeks I put the bike on the turbo trainer and slowly but surely built up my strength and stamina, yes there were complications along the way but nothing that couldn't be overcome and by the summer of 2013 I was up to 150 miles over a 3-4 day weekly schedule and I continued to build from there.

The accompanying photo was taken in 2014, exactly two years on from that day back in September 2012, when trivial things that seemed important suddenly weren't so important.
It is a third of the way through a 50 miles bike ride and hopefully it will give encouragement to others who are facing or who have just come through a similar problem with their ticker, to tackle it head on and come out the other side.

Fast forward if you will to 2015, and a lot has certainly gone down since. I have lost good friends along the way, some to heart disease, and I have also been re-acquainted with, and made some wonderful friends through my heart journey and also my new employment at Tesco Bridgewater Extra in Banbridge, where quite frankly the support and depth of care has been both staggering and humbling, and something for which I will always be grateful.
This year two of my grafts had the audacity to block and had to be dealt with very quickly (see previous post) but you know what, these things only make you stronger.

Now I am not for one second going to say that, open heart surgery in particular is a walk in the park, it most definitely is not....your body, and mind for that matter, go through a pretty brutal ordeal.

But if you are fortunate enough beforehand, as I was/am, to get warning shots across the bow, there is no question it is life-saving surgery and, despite what at times may seem like a mountain standing in the way of recovery and progress, the road does flatten out and things do get better.

6 Words

"Daddy are you going to die?"
Never have six words hit me like a bolt, than those spoken by my daughter as I lay in a hospital bed a few weeks ago, well at least not since I was once reliably informed we 'have no teabags in the house'.

It's been a while since I last posted, and in that time I have had the Grim Reaper on my case once again, he just doesn't know when to give up.

For quite some time, about 18 months to be precise, I'd had unbelievable fatigue, the type of which frankly has to be experienced to be believed, and which at one point had very nearly scuppered the charity cycle back in July.
A few weeks after getting back from the bike ride  I had a follow-up Heart CT Scan done, and although deep down I knew something wasn't right, I still had managed to convince myself that all was ok.

Anyway the scan was duly carried out and, as is the norm in such matters, I was told to contact my GP in about 4 weeks time.
In the words of one of my medical team, this really was only a matter of "crossing the t's and dotting the i's", after all I had just cycled 500 miles in 5 days a relatively short time previously, so there couldn't possibly be anything seriously wrong.... right?
Wrong!
A week later as I sat on a break at work, I received a call from my cardio's secretary to inform me that he wanted to see me in a couple of days. Now, when you receive a call like this it can only mean one thing, and it isn't that they want to invite you for a coffee.

Sure enough I hadn't right planted my backside on the chair in his office when I was told rather matter of factly (wouldn't have it any other way) that two of my bypass grafts were completely blocked and were 'doing absolutely nothing'.
Seemingly it was the vein that was harvested from my left leg that was the culprit and, as anyone who has had bypass surgery knows, they give this particular vein a life span of around 10 years at best, and the fact that mine was playing silly beggars so soon was causing a bit of concern to all, all that is except myself.

Now I don't say this lightly, but it was the same when I was told I needed heart surgery back in 2012 and this time was no different. The way I see it is this, it is entirely out of one's hands and when you hear news like this you have basically two choices, you can either pour a cup of tea (or something stronger), find a dark room and proceed to crawl up into a ball and feel sorry for yourself or.....you can grab life by 'Fagan and the Two Magees' and get on with it!!

Anyway, I've since had a stent placed urgently in my left main artery stem (one of, if not the most, important parts of the heart) and will shortly be re-joining the good folks at Cardiac Rehab to 'find my limitations' in a controlled environment.

That said, next year it is still my intention to complete another longer charity cycle, (whether it will happen or not is immaterial) and then I'll 'probably' retire disgracefully. When I put this plan to my cardios I honestly thought one of them was going to chin me and I was duly thankful that he wasn't a violent chap.

But I'm a great believer in having a purpose, or a focus if you will, in life. And when you have a rather nasty medical condition, that focus becomes more important than ever, and my medical team can also see where I am coming from.

Things are still far from perfect (they never will be), but like the last time...I'm determined to get to something resembling near normality. There are literally thousands of people far worse off and I simply view my Heart Disease as an absolute nuisance in comparison.

Anyone who really knows me will tell you I am an easy going, glass is half full character, and it has taken this latest adventure with Ischaemic Heart Disease to finally stop me in my tracks.
This time round it will all be a bit different, my latest brush with Mr. Reaper has made me look at where I'm going, make a few changes and seriously re-evaluate things a bit.

Whilst it is certainly not my intention to depart this mortal coil anytime soon, it is not something I have any real control over. When I was in hospital I had cause to cancel a dental check-up, however an appointment with my maker is not something I will be able to cancel but I am entirely at peace with that fact.

Which brings me nicely back to my daughter's question, and my answer is a straightforward....... no and yes, but I will continue to live life to the best of my ability, and hopefully be around to see her grow up.

As always peeps, thank-you for listening.

And I would cycle 500 miles.....

And I would cycle 500 more.......well not quite yet.

I'm sure The Proclaimers will forgive me. Poetic licence aside, a week of walking sideways has passed since I set out to try and cycle 500 miles in 5 days round the roads of Northern Ireland and Donegal for the Children's Heartbeat Trust and it's as good a time as any to sit down and reflect on the whole experience.

A meeting with my cardio on the very eve of the trip was 'eventful' and despite a few reservations and the knowledge that I wasn't to be deterred, I was allowed to continue with the assurance that I would quit if the crap hit the fan.

Setting off from Tesco Bridgewater Extra
with Amy, Pamela and Davy

So, next day the team and I were met at the start by Lynn from the charity and after a bit of a natter we were off down the road. 

Heading out of Banbridge was when it dawned on me that this was finally it, months of planning were behind me and it was time to finally get on with it and pedal. 

After a quick stop in Portadown it was off through the Orchard County to the next stop at the Navan Centre where after a bite of lunch for me, Pamela, Davy and Amy decided to have a look round as I headed on for Tyrone. 

At a bridge on the approach to Caledon, I spotted a motorcycle parked up on my side of the road and a gent with a camera on the other side. 
As I got nearer I realised it was a certain Mr. James Lee esq.
Jim had kindly taken the time to come down and see me pass by and take some photos both here and up the road in nearby Aughnacloy, not only that but he stopped and gave me a donation on the roadside which was really, really decent of him...thanks Jim!!

By this time the temperature was in the high 20's (it topped out at 29C) and from Tyrone it was into Fermanagh and on to Enniskillen via Tempo, a road I'm in no hurry to be on again. 

It wasn't so much the terrain but the road surface, a common theme on my journey. 

Anyway from Enniskillen it was out to Castle Archdale where we had kindly been given 2 free tent pitches for the night.

Now I know from bitter experience that Fermanagh is infamous for its midge population and the little blighters took a serious dislike to poor Davy whose arms and head were used as target practice.

The next morning dawned damp, but by the time I set off it had brightened up. 

Kesh: Co. Fermanagh

Even though I had an excellent team around me, I was still determined that it should be a holiday for them. So, as I headed solo for Donegal the guys ventured off to see the Marble Arch Caves and whatever else they might happen to encounter.
I went through the village of Kesh, a place that holds many memories for me from my camping days. With the exception of a new road layout, the place hasn't really changed much in the 20 odd years since I last graced it with my presence, although like everywhere else the addition of more shops seem to add more bustle to the village. Anyway enough of this reminiscing, I headed along the shores of Lower Lough Erne through Boa Island and crossed the border at Belleek. It's been a fair few years since I was on this road and it again brought back a lot of memories.

From there it was on to Ballyshannon and Donegal Town itself. 

Donegal Town

Now Donegal Town is a lovely place but it is not for the faint of heart and it really is every person for themselves in the town centre traffic. However I survived and after a quick stop at the beautiful castle I continued my journey north.

Soon I was heading along the Barnesmore Gap, a beautiful stretch of road but on this particular day a strong head wind was my constant companion. 

I could see 5-6 fellow cyclists spread out about a mile ahead and was able to use them as a kind of marker. After passing them it occurred to me that it had been a while since I had heard from the support team, it then became evident that the phone reception was non-existent and that, with 45 miles to go, I was on my own and down to my last drop of water, two fig rolls and one jelly baby.

Thankfully when I got to a mile from Lifford and nearby Strabane, the phone picked up the UK connection again and soon rang, however they were about 30 miles behind me so I decided to slow my pace and venture on. The guys eventually caught up with me on the outskirts of Londonderry/Derry and quickly replenished my food and water levels.
By this time it was around 6pm so the others headed to our hostess at Limavady as I followed behind. I arrived in Limavady around 8pm and after meeting our lovely host Mary and her friends (and not forgetting Brodie the Labrador) we settled in. Mary had prepared a lovely meal for us which went down a treat and soon it was off to bed.
Mary had to leave early next morning and had left us the key, so after having spares cut (only joking Mary) we prepared for what I knew would probably be the hardest day of all, along the Antrim Coast and on to our next stop near Ballyrobert. 

Antrim Coast Road near Ballintoy

The team headed into Coleraine as I took the scenic route via Downhill (which was anything but) and after a brief stop in Coleraine it was a 20 minute run to Portstewart and some lunch. 

From Portstewart it was on to the coast road via Portrush and I could tell from the wind direction that this was going to be 'fun' with a small f!!

Now the Antrim Coast past Dunluce Castle and through Bushmills, Ballintoy etc is a beautiful place to be on an extremely warm day such as I experienced that Friday, but there was a vicious head/side wind from inland and it hindered progress badly. 

The old ticker didn't appreciate the heat and was protesting a bit as I arrived in Ballycastle around 4.45pm, and with 45 odd miles to my destination there was no time to lose.

I 'charged' on through Armoy and on to the main Ballymena-Ballymoney road which was still being dug up meaning single lane traffic for quite a few miles which wasn't too safe on a bicycle to be honest. 

But I eventually hit some carriageway and managed to get a decent pace going and soon I was in Antrim and on towards Templepatrick where our host Brian, himself a keen cyclist, met me at a large roundabout outside the town and we cycled the short distance together to his home where I met his lovely wife Fiona, son and daughter-in-law, and again settled down to some of the finest hospitality one could hope for including tea, buns and cake.

The next morning saw some heavy rain in the area and after saying my goodbyes I ventured towards Belfast via Carrickfergus where by this time the sun had again come out. 

A Tall Ship in Belfast

Progress along the Shore Road was hindered by traffic lights and roadworks, but I eventually made it to Belfast where the Tall Ships crowd and traffic again made life more awkward than it ought to have been. 

I arrived at Stormont almost an hour behind schedule and missed Cathy and Sarah from the charity (apologies ladies), and then it was on to Bangor, which once 'was the place' according to the comedian James Young.

By now it was really hot and from Bangor it was along the coast to Ballywalter via Groomsport, Donaghadee and Millisle. 

At Ballywalter I swung inland to Mount Stewart and on to a dangerous stretch of shore road to Newtownards where I had a quick 10 minute replenishment stop.

Soon it was on to Comber, Killyleagh and Downpatrick on a most hateful stretch of road, and from Downpatrick it was on to Newcastle and the welcoming sight of the Mourne Mountains, and where Tollymore Forest Park had provided us with free camping (thanks guys). 

It was nice to see a face, or three, from home as we met up with my sister Sharon, bro-in-law Mark and niece Ruth.

The next morning once again started wet as we headed from Newcastle over the hills to Hilltown and Rathfriland.

From Rathfriland it was through Bronte Country to Loughbrickland and Newry where we stopped for lunch.

It was now early afternoon as I ventured on over the border where the bright sunshine of Newry was quickly replaced by torrential rain which only cleared as I got  to Omeath. 

Job Done

As planned, we turned in Omeath and ventured back to Newry and down the carriageway to Warrenpoint and Rostrevor before picking up the coast road in bright evening sunshine to Newcastle where I arrived around 7pm with 500 miles clocked up....WE had done it, 500 miles in 5 days.

On Monday we awoke to one of the worst summer days I have faced in all my time on this mortal coil, extremely windy, cold and with heavy rain!!

After waiting until it eventually cleared, I headed back to the official finish at Banbridge where Lynn was waiting with her trusty camera, and my Tesco Bridgewater Extra colleagues had provided a warm welcome and some champagne, wine, flowers and cards...thanks guys!!! (my apologies to my colleagues who were expecting me the day before). 

It was also fantastic to see my friend Aron and his wife Judith there with their daughter Grace...the inspiration for the challenge. 

And, with that the cycle challenge/adventure had come to a successful conclusion....until next year. ;-)

Route Details

Well, it's been 9 months planning and waiting, and the day is approaching for the start of the Northern Ireland/ Donegal Cycle Challenge for the Children's Heartbeat Trust.

The route and proposed locations and arrival times are posted here, I know along the 500 miles route some folk are hoping to giving me a cheer or, knowing some of them...abuse ;-) but please do allow approximately half an hour either side of these times to allow for rest stops, a mechanical, weather conditions (particularly wind speed/direction) or ....me taking a wrong turn and getting lost (what are we doing in Draperstown Mavis!!) :-)
Thank-you!!

Wednesday 1st July: Banbridge - Castle Archdale
Tesco Bridgewater Extra, Banbridge 9am, BANBRIDGE 9.10am, Church Street/Seapatrick, GILFORD 9.50am, Newry Canal Towpath, PORTADOWN 10.30am,
High Street, Armagh Road, Dobbin Road, Vicarage Road, Cloghan Road. ARMAGH 11.40pm. Ballycrummy Road. NAVAN FORT 12pm. Killylea Road. CALEDON 1.30pm.
AUGHNACLOY 2pm. Ballygawley Roundabout. AUGHER 3pm. CLOGHER 3.20pm.
FIVEMILETOWN 4pm. Altaveedan Road. Cooneen Road. TEMPO 4.45pm.
Tempo Road. Dublin Road. ENNISKILLEN 5.30pm. Friths Pass Bridge. Castle Bridge
Irvinestown Road. Enniskillen Road (Trory). IRVINESTOWN 7.30pm. Lisnarick Road. Killadeas Road. CASTLE ARCHDALE (Finish) 8pm.

Thursday 2nd July: Castle Archdale - Limavady
CASTLE ARCHDALE 8am. KESH 8.40am, Boa Island Road, BELLEEK 10.30am, Cliff Road, DONEGAL TOWN 12.30pm, Keadew Bridge, N15, Barnes Bridge, Donegal Road,
BALLYBOFEY 2.30pm, LIFFORD 3.45pm, Letterkenny Road, LONDONDERRY/DERRY 5pm, A2, GREYSTEEL 6pm, BALLYKELLY 6.25pm, LIMAVADY 7PM.

Friday 3rd July: Limavady - Ballyrobert
LIMAVADY 8.30am, DOWNHILL 9.50am, Mussenden Road, Sea Road, ARTICLAVE 10.10am, Windyhill Road, Castlerock Road, COLERAINE 10.40am, Bann Bridge, Circular Road, Millburn Road, Portrush Road, Portstewart Road, Coleraine Road, PORTSTEWART 11.15am, Station Road, Juniper Hill, Dhu Varren, PORTRUSH 11.30am, Dunluce Road, BUSHMILLS 12.30pm, Whitepark Road, BALLINTOY 1.15pm,
BALLYCASTLE  2pm, Drones Road, The Dark Hedges, ARMOY 3.15pm, Gracehill Road,
CLOUGHMILLS 4.15pm, CLOUGH 4.30pm, Drumagrove Road, Cushendall Road Roundabout, BALLYMENA 5.30pm. ANTRIM, 6.15pm, TEMPLEPATRICK 6.45pm,
BALLYROBERT 7.10pm, Kings Moss Road (Finish) 7.15pm.

Saturday 4th July: Ballyrobert - Newcastle
Ballyrobert (Start) 8am, Doagh Road, WOODBURN 8.50am, CARRICKFERGUS 9am, Belfast Road, Shore Road, WHITEABBEY 9.30am, Duncrue Street, Whitla Street, North Queen Street, Millfield, College Avenue, College Square East, Wellington Place, Donegall Square North, BELFAST CITY HALL 10am, Victoria Street, Queen Elizabeth Bridge, TITANIC QUARTER (Dock Cafe) 10.30am, Sydenham Road, Parkgate Avenue, Connsbrook Avenue, Upper Newtownards Road, STORMONT 11.30pm, Ballyregan Road, Ballymiscaw Road, Craigantlet Road, Old Belfast Road, Crawfordsburn Road, Bryansburn Road, BANGOR 12.30pm, Ballyholme Road, GROOMSPORT, DONAGHADEE 1.45pm, MILLISLE 2.15pm, BALLYWALTER 2.45pm, Mountstewart Road, MOUNT STEWART 3.30pm, NEWTOWNARDS 4pm, Comber Road, COMBER 4.30pm, Belfast Road, KILLYLEAGH 5.40pm, DOWNPATRICK 6pm, CLOUGH, 6.30pm, DUNDRUM 6.40pm, NEWCASTLE 7PM, Bryansford Road, TOLLYMORE FOREST PARK (Finish) 7.15pm.

Sunday 5th July: Newcastle - Banbridge
TOLLYMORE FOREST PARK (Start) 8.15am, NEWCASTLE 8.30am, ANNALONG 9.20am, KILKEEL 10.00am, Cranfield Road, Lurganconary Road, ROSTREVOR 11am, Burren Roundabout, Warrenpoint Road (A2), NEWRY 12am, Buttercrane Quay, Merchants Quay, Canal Street, New Street, Canal Quay, Newry Canal Towpath,
POYNTZPASS 12.30pm, SCARVA 12.50pm, Tesco Bridgewater Extra, Banbridge (Finish) 2.30pm.

*Times are Approximate and are subject to change*

Thank-you!!

My daughter Amy on her third day collecting for the Childrens Heartbeat Trust where she was joined yesterday by her cousin Katie. 

Three tiring days during which the customers and Tesco colleagues generously donated over £600 and where we met some wonderful people and heard some inspiring and sad stories that made us humble.

Massive thanks to Tesco Bridgewater Extra Community for allowing us space in-store to collect, to Tesco Community Champion David McKay for his absolutely awesome help and hospitality
...... and a big, big thank-you to my merry band of helpers, my wife Pamela, David Bruce, Aron McKee and his daughter Rebecca, mum-in-law Sally, sis-in-law Carolyn, my dad, dad-in-law, bro-in-law Mark and of course Amy and Katie.