"I was diagnosed with heart failure at just 23 - but now I'm raising cash for the Milton Keynes charity that helped me get my life back"
Ben Summers was just 23 when he was told he had heart failure. It came as a complete shock but he says he’ll be forever grateful to an amazing MK group who literally helped him get his life back.
He says the diagnosis was something he never expected to face at his age.
It was a frightening time, but thanks to the Milton Keynes Community Cardio-Pulmonary Group (MKCCG), Ben, of Leighton Buzzard, made a full recovery. And to say thank you he’ll be taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge - climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon over 24 hours in August.
The first sign that something was wrong happened when Ben was on holiday in Barcelona with a group friends. Here Ben takes up the story:
“My first ordeal was extremely traumatic. I was in Barcelona with my mates, and we had been drinking for four nights in a row. On the final day, I woke up, obviously hungover, and ordered a McDonald’s. I took a bite out of my Big Mac and all of a sudden felt what I thought was an allergic reaction. My oxygen levels were so low that my body seized up outside on the pavement as we waited for an ambulance.
"I was shot with two epipens as my mates and I feared the worst. I kept telling myself to keep my eyes open as I thought if I shut them I would have died. I was in hospital for a day in Barcelona, before flying home. Feeling incredibly rough. The doctors and I just assumed I had become allergic to something else, as I had always been allergic to nuts.
“Fast forward a few weeks, and the same type of reaction happened again (less severe), which left me overnight at MK hospital. The questions started coming as thick and fast as the tests and scans. I was diagnosed with heart failure.
“I was off work for a long time working with children in schools around LB and surrounding areas.
“Mentally, it was tough. I have always been incredibly fit and healthy. Only a few months before Barcelona, I had run a half marathon.
“To go from this life, to nothing, I knew I had to adapt and change my 'wellness tools'. But my mental health plummeted, leaving me feeling caged in and trapped."
However, slowly Ben started to piece his life back together with the help of the cardiac rehab team at MKCCG.
His 'episodes' stopped occurring and slowly he returned work. Things started to look up. The mental side improved drastically with the physical side, as he was also using cognitive behavioural therapy to give himself the best chance.
He remembers how he felt down and out but that therapy was positive and helped get him back on track.
Ben added: “To say thank you, I’ve decided to take on the National Three Peaks Challenge – climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon all within 24 hours, over the weekend of August 23 and 24. It’s going to be tough, but I’m doing it for a team that quite literally helped me get my life back.
“I’ve set up a GoFundMe page with all donations going directly to the MKCCG.
“Whether you chip in a few quid, share this page, or just cheer me on from the comfort of flat ground - thank you. I’ll do the climbing. You do the supporting.
“Let’s raise money for the people who quietly help others rebuild their lives, one heartbeat at a time.”
So far £511 has been raised towards a target of £800.
Visit Ben’s GoFundMe page to donate.