Kesgrave retired policeman, 64, saved twice by heart doctors
Andrew Wright from Kesgrave. - Credit: CHARLOTTE BOND
A Kesgrave retired policeman has revealed how he was saved twice by heart doctors.
Former PC Andrew Wright was given a new lease of life after he was fitted with a stent - a small mesh tube that holds open passages in the body when arteries are blocked - in 2010.
This allowed the self-described "active" runner to go back to working out but a decade later things started to go downhill again.
Andrew Wright, a 64-year-old, said the heart pain caused him "to stop what he was doing" - Credit: CHARLOTTE BOND
Mr Wight "dull and continuous" heart pains twice landed him in hospital, once in Ipswich and the second time at the Royal Papworth.
The 64-year-old said the pain caused him "to stop what he was doing" and left his son, grandson and wife "worried" for his health.
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"I almost died twice," he said. "But the stent has been working. It's amazing what they do now. I'm completely blown away.
"It's good to be alive. All the staff at the heart centre have been totally brilliant.
Andrew Wright regularly swims in the River Deben - Credit: CHARLOTTE BOND
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"I have found that the recovery is not going as well as in 2010 but I am 11 years older," he added.
To thank those that saved his life and to raise awareness he has swam three enormous challenges for the British Heart Foundation.
This involved swimming from the River Deben from the Melton side of the Tide Mill, Woodbridge to Bawdsey Quay - a distance of 8.3 miles which he completed in three hours and 42 minutes on June 19.
He then swam the seven miles from Wallton Pier to Clacton Pier on August 21 in around three hours.
"This was the most important challenge for me as I failed to complete the race twice in the mid 1970s when I was a teenager," he said.
Grandfather, father and husband Andrew Wright's family were worried about his chest pains - Credit: CHARLOTTE BOND
His final 10.7 mile swim from Slaughden Sailing Club, through to Aldeburgh and on to Shingle Street was on September 18 and took just four hours.
Mr Wright was joined in his endeavours by Abigail Pawsey, Danny Reeve, Paul Rant, and Tomas Motyka, who have been swimming in the River Deben including throughout the winter months too since Covid closed the swimming pools.
He has raised more than £1,570 for BHF, and you can donate here.
