A 39-year-old father from Cheshire who suffered a heart attack while playing football was given just two years to live. Ellis Dawson, from Mow Cop, underwent a heart transplant at Wythenshawe Hospital in February 2026 after a severe blockage in an artery known as the "widow-maker". Months after the procedure, he says he feels "incredibly positive" about the future.
Ellis, a father of two, described his gratitude towards his donor's family: "It is impossible to express the depth of gratitude I feel towards my donor's family for giving me the ultimate gift: the chance to watch my two little girls grow up. Every day is a bonus when you have had a heart transplant."
Symptoms mistaken for panic attack
Ellis was playing a football match in January 2025 when he began to feel "funny". He initially thought the feeling might clear up, but his condition worsened, with symptoms he attributed to a panic attack. He walked back to his car, realised he was not fit to drive, and called his father for a lift home. After speaking to his wife, he started being sick and used calming breathing techniques before falling asleep on the floor.
His wife called 111, and an ambulance was dispatched. At Royal Stoke University Hospital, an ECG confirmed he was having a heart attack. He needed two stents inserted into his left anterior descending artery, which had become 95 per cent blocked. Plaque had broken away, causing a blood clot.
Prognosis and transplant
An echocardiogram showed his heart had not healed, and a follow-up MRI six months later found no improvement. He was referred to Wythenshawe Hospital's Heart and Lung Transplant Centre, where he was told that on his current medication, he had two years to live at best. By December, he was struggling with breathing and walking, and the team suggested admitting him to the urgent transplant list, but he chose to spend Christmas at home with his family.
He went into hospital in January and received an intravenous drip that "revitalised" him, though his heart was "not happy". Two weeks later, a donor heart became available. He received the news on January 31 2026 that the donor heart was good and he had to prepare for surgery.
Recovery and gratitude
Ellis returned home two weeks after the procedure and has since described his recovery as "tremendous". He now manages his immunosuppression carefully, avoiding busy enclosed spaces where possible, and battles fatigue by managing his energy across the day. He praised the staff at Wythenshawe Heart and Lung Centre for their "extraordinary" care.
Dr Steve Shaw, Consultant Cardiologist at Wythenshawe Hospital, said: "When I first saw Ellis it was clear from his heart scans and blood work that his future prognosis was poor. I recall having those difficult conversations with him and his wife, and then bringing up the subject of transplant." He added that Ellis was added to the transplant waiting list within the month, but his condition was declining.
Dr Shaw continued: "When I then saw him in the New Year, he looked truly awful. He couldn't even sleep at night due to how breathless he was. I admitted him to our transplant unit and started him on continuous IV infusions of medication that temporarily increase the circulation and drive off excess fluid. We then changed his transplant listing status to urgent, as it was clear the time window for achieving a transplant was narrowing. We were then really fortunate to find a good donor heart for him after only a couple of weeks."
Ellis said his biggest priority now is to stay as fit and healthy as he can to honour the gift he received, whether that means getting back on his mountain bike or enjoying time in his caravan with family and friends.
