A cereal farmer’s raffle of two sheds, 30 round bales of barley straw and various vouchers raised funds for cardiac care at Cork University Hospital (CUH) and the Irish Heart Foundation.
Micheal Hayes from Belgooly, near Kinsale, organised the raffle in appreciation for the care he received after having a STEMI heart attack last July, at just 48 years of age.
STEMI is a type of heart attack that mainly affects the heart’s lower chambers and tends to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks.
Having run a farm fabrication business, MH Agri Services, as well as farming, Micheal had regarded himself as busy and active.
He recalled feeling unwell the day before his heart attack, experiencing very mild pains in his chest. The following evening he felt a severe pain in his chest.
He made it back from the yard to his house and family members contacted emergency services. His sister and neighbour also got the local defibrillator.
“I’m very fortunate to live reasonably close to CUH. And like many people, I would have driven by defibrillators in the past, never taking any heed of their importance. The same can be said for cardiac services in general,” said Micheal.
“I had never heard of cardio rehab services but I am still going for them. It’s a long road to recovery.
“I had a full blockage of an artery and had an emergency stent. I then developed further complications including a clot in my heart and an infection around the heart which were treated with medication,” said Micheal, who was in hospital for a total of three-and-a-half weeks.
“Farmers in particular are usually extremely active but don’t tend to take the time to do cardio exercises, say 50 minutes of reasonably intense walking. They are often really busy and can neglect their health.”
Micheal now does 6-7 km of walking daily and has changed his diet and lifestyle. He decided to retire from his engineering business to reduce his stress levels.
“Cereal farming is very manageable and I’m focusing on my health and well-being,” he said.
Micheal said he was delighted with the support for his fundraiser, concluding: “There was a massive response and hopefully the raffle raised awareness as well as money.”