13/12/2020 €630 has been received from collection on Sunday and has been added above

Barry O ’Regan’s Story

For the last three years 36-year-old Barry O’ Regan and a
dedicated team of tractor enthusiasts have organised the Mount Uniake Tractor
Run in East Cork in aid of the Irish Heart Foundation and in memory of their
good friends Larry Long and Finbarr Hurley both of whom sadly lost their lives
to heart disease.

To date the Mount Uniake Tractor Run has raised a colossal
€50,000 for the Irish Heart Foundation.

Little did Barry, (a key member of Mogeely Vintage Club) know however, when he worked so hard to raise so much to support those affected by heart disease that he would one day become a heart patient himself.

Barry was diagnosed with a leaking mitral valve when he was
still in school. The mitral valve is a small flap in the heart that stops blood
flowing the wrong way. Problems with it can affect how the blood flows around
the body.

Barry readily admits that he did not understand the
seriousness of his health problems was not great at looking after himself and
led a very full life.

Over the past few years, the father of one started to notice
that he was not feeling great. He began to get tired but put his symptoms down
to working hard between helping at home on the farm, in the family pub and his
full-time job with Dairygold. Looking back, he realised that for more than
years he was feeling pain all-over his body and he should have paid more
attention.

It all came to a head in September 2019 when Barry felt so
breathless and unwell that he went to see his GP who told him he needed to get
to hospital immediately.

He did not go there though, as his priority was to get his
van parked up at home and, as he waited for his father to pick him up he
collapsed and his mother had to call an ambulance.

A lot of drama ensued and he was very lucky to be treated as
he had gone into heart failure. Barry was rushed straight to the emergency department
in the Mercy University Hospital, and then transferred to Cork University
Hospital (CUH) where he underwent major heart surgery.

He was in the Cardiac Care Unit for some time and fondly
remembers how attentive and caring the staff were; one even brought him in a
copy of the Farmers Journal. He pays great tribute to his friends and family,
particularly his parents to who he said he was indebted for their support
during his 28-day stay in hospital and afterwards.

Barry remembers Anne Riordan from the Irish Heart Foundation
speaking at the first cheque presentation of the proceeds from the 2017 Mount
Uniake Tractor Run. She outlined the major risk factors for heart disease and
stroke and advised that the risk of heart disease & stroke can be reduced
by 80% by watching our diet, taking regular exercise, not smoking, drinking in
moderation, watching stress levels and keeping a check on our blood pressure
and cholesterol.

Ms Riordan went on to remind people “We’re great to get the
car or tractor serviced, we check the pressure on our tyres, change the oil –
if we only looked after ourselves as well.”

Barry has thankfully made a full recovery and wants to raise
awareness of heart disease and encourage people to look after themselves before
it’s too late. He is also grateful for the excellent care he received and to be
in a position to raise more funds for the Irish Heart Foundation this year.   

Every hour someone in Ireland
suffers from a stroke. Every day, hundreds of Irish people are diagnosed with
heart disease. The lives of these people are often cut tragically short. Many
are left disabled. Almost 9,000 people die each year, making heart disease and
stroke one of the nation’s biggest killers. It shouldn’t be this way and this
fact forms our reason for being. We are the nation’s heart and stroke charity. Our
mission is to effect positive change in the lifestyles of Irish people, to
achieve better outcomes for those affected by heart disease and stroke and to
challenge when the health of our nation is put at risk. We empower people to
live longer, healthier lives.

The Irish Heart Foundation