Liverpool Echo | Joe Thomas
| Andrew McGarry,39 from Maghull,a tennis coach at Liverpool Tennis Centre,is taking part in the World Transplant Games in Argentina,and hoping to win gold in tennis. Andrew had a heart transplant 13 years ago. |
A tennis player who collapsed and woke up ten days later with a new heart is set to take part in the World Transplant Games in South America.
Thirteen years ago Andy McGarry was a successful junior tennis player, former Centre of Excellence footballer and a tennis coach who was competing in qualifiers for a tennis tournament.
Despite appearing to be the picture of health he suffered from an undiagnosed heart problem - dilated cardiomyopathy - which took him to the edge of death when he suffered an attack out of the blue.
He said: “I had been competing in the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament, I think it was the first one and I had been playing in the qualifying tournament and just felt terrible. Then, at the end of that week, it happened. I felt ill, I went to lie on the living room floor as we were preparing to go to a friend’s wedding. My best mate realised I wasn’t too good, took my pulse and rang the paramedics. Ten days later I woke up with a new heart. It happened on a Friday and I woke up on a Sunday, World Cup Final day - I woke up in sort of a dream with that on TV.”
Andy, who grew up in Maghull and now lives in Birkdale, quickly recovered from his operation and was back at work, coaching hopeful stars of the future at Liverpool Tennis Centre within months. Continue reading
from Donate Life Organ and Tissue Donation Blog℠ http://ift.tt/1PKREEU
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