How heart valve donor gave dad a new lease of life

A FATHER was so unwell with a heart condition that he was unable to play with his children.

- ELLIE GOSLEY Reporter [e-mail]

Jerry Peachey, 34, from Bridgend, struggled to pick up their toys from the floor and was often left feeling faint or out of breath. This was because he had a critically narrowed and potentially infected heart valve caused by a congenital heart defect.

However, everything changed for Jerry when he had a heart valve replacement.

Jerry has shared his story after concerning figures were released revealing that the NHS could not supply around one in five heart valve requests for lifesaving surgeries last year amid a drop in donations.

One expert said: “The reality is we are just not getting enough donations to meet demand.”

Before his health issues, the dad-of-two was going to the gym and working in a physically demanding job as a manager in a busy warehouse. But as his condition got worse, he started to struggle to even pick up his children’s toys from the floor.

“IT would often feel faint and out of breath,” said the dad-of-two.