Martin Buckley, an IT worker for the NHS, was 35 when he suddenly went into heart failure at a soft play centre in Manchester. Doctors later found he had a dangerous 'kink' in his aorta, a condition they say is often only discovered during post-mortems. Now 42, Martin has shed nearly seven stone and turned his life around.
A day out that changed everything
In 2019, Martin and his wife, a nurse, took a friend's young son for a day out at a soft play centre in Manchester. Amid the noise and laughter, Martin felt something was wrong. As he ducked under a bridge to reach the child, he felt his heart 'skip a beat'.
"I didn't feel great so I went back to my wife and I'm like, I don't feel good, I don't feel right," Martin said. His wife reassured him and told him to lie down on a bench, but his heart kept racing and felt 'heavy in my chest'. After returning home to Rochdale, he still felt ill, so they went to A&E.
Heart failure and a shocking diagnosis
At Royal Oldham Hospital, tests showed Martin was in heart failure. Medication to slow his heart didn't work, and he was told he would be cardioverted under general anaesthesia. "When they said I was going to be cardioverted, I actually thought, okay, I actually might die now," Martin said.
The procedure worked, and further tests revealed the cause: a 'kink' in his aorta that led to atrial fibrillation. "They basically call it the widow maker," Martin said. "Normally they find it when people have died via post-mortem."
Weight gain and a turning point
After the scare, Martin became wary of strenuous activity, which led to weight gain. At his heaviest, he weighed 20 stone and struggled to climb stairs. "I felt a bit like a spare part," he said. "It was in part due to my heart, but also a lot due to my weight as well."
Determined to change, Martin joined MAN v FAT Football, a weight loss programme for men with a BMI over 27.5. Through the programme and a healthier diet, he lost nearly seven stone. He also credits his wife's support and the medical staff who saved his life.
"I'm on a journey towards a new me, and I hope my heart thanks me by pumping more easily and giving me many more years to enjoy the life I've built," Martin said.
