Heart check leads to open-heart surgery for Wyndham College teacher
A Quakers Hill high school teacher thought he was fit and healthy until he got his heart checked — leading to him being admitted to hospital for open-heart surgery.
A Quakers Hill high school teacher thought he was fit and healthy until he got his heart checked — leading to him being admitted to hospital for open-heart surgery.
Chris Minol, 45, from western Sydney who teaches at Wyndham College, decided to undergo a 10-minute heart health check following the sudden death of a friend from cardiac arrest.
He said the results led to him being admitted to hospital last year for open-heart surgery with a dangerous 95 per cent blockage of a major artery.
“If I hadn’t had my heart health checked I wouldn’t be here today,” he said.
“The irony is that I’m a high school PE teacher and I teach my students about cardiac health.
“I thought I was okay — no obvious symptoms — but when the doctors operated, they referred to my condition as a widow maker.”
A team of nurses from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is currently visiting shopping centres across Sydney as part of a mobile heart health check tour.
The first stop of the tour was held at Rouse Hill Town Centre last Thursday and Friday and it will visit Oran Park, Narellan, Campbelltown and Picton next week.
“Even if you think you’re healthy, I strongly urge everyone to get their heart health checked, it only takes a few minutes and it could save your life,” Mr Minol, who was on hand for the launch of the tour at Rouse Hill, said.
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The tour is funded by a $150,000 grant from the IMB Bank Community Foundation.
To see more stops on the tour visit victorchang.edu.au/heart-tour/location.
There will be 50 stops across NSW and the ACT and between 5000 and 6000 people are expected to be tested on the tour.
The free heart health checks monitor people’s blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
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