Sean Patterson from Dungannon, lost his wife Geraldine to a heart attack and has been diagnosed with heart failure himself. Sean, whose family run Ace Coaches in Dungannon, has been an incredible supporter of NICHS's work.
This year marks the 10 year anniversary of Sean and Ace Coaches fundraising for NICHS and to date they have raised an incredible £50.7K.
In 2017, Sean formed the Dungannon Friends of NICHS which also includes some local country singers and every year they run a 3 day Festival 'Hooley at the Lough'. The main event is on a Sunday which includes vintage tractors, local merchandise stalls and games for children. They also have an array of country and western singers performing thoughout the day in their main marquee. This year the event raised £15K – the largest amount to date.
Sean says, “It is an honour to lend my support to NI Chest Heart and Stroke and I hope others join the fight against heart disease in Northern Ireland."
“My family and I started fundraising for the charity after we lost my wife Geraldine to a massive heart attack in 2011, aged just 54. We have seen how vital their work is for those affected by a heart condition – whether personally or as the family of someone suffering or who has passed away. We can see clearly how another family like ours would gain so much support from this organisation during a difficult time, so now we feel inspired to help others going through a similar experience by raising money and awareness for the charity.”
“Although both mine and Geraldine’s parents had heart problems, and we were aware of the genetic links, I never imagined that I would also then be diagnosed with heart failure. I think that every person, whether they have a family history or not, should get into the habit of having regular health checks. They are so important and these last few years have really opened my eyes to that."
