Graeme Byrne is about hoping complete a ‘marathon of golf’ today, in the 30-degree heat, following a cardiac arrest three years ago, Here, the Founding Director of Stowmarket-based Lagotto Solutions explains why he is raising funds for the Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals charity
Today (Monday August 12, 2024), Graeme Byrne will spend about 14 hours playing 72 holes of golf at Diss Golf Club – which equates to around the same distance as a marathon! It is a little more than three years since the Founding Director of Stowmarket-based Lagotto Solutions survived a cardiac arrest. ‘In May 2021 I had a cardiac arrest with no symptoms, which was caused by a completely blocked artery. I’m very, very lucky to still be here as there’s only a 10% chance of survival when this happens outside of a hospital.
‘Thanks to those I was with at the time, their defibrillator and to the Suffolk Accident & Rescue Service, I made it to the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital in with a chance.
‘It was there that the brilliant Dr Clint Maart and his team successfully operated before I was expertly cared for by the amazing staff on Kilverstone Ward in the weeks that followed.
‘He successfully stented my heart and following that put me in touch with the cardiology clinic at St George’s University Hospital in London who now look after me. I’ll need some more surgery at some point, but they are happy with how I’m doing. Clint mentioned recently that the NNUH are raising money to fund a new scanner capable of diagnosing heart disease more accurately than x-ray tests or tubes inside the heart and I wanted to do something to help.
‘I’d like to try to raise some money to help the hospital continue to invest in research and life-saving equipment to help to increase the percentage of people who survive cardiac arrest. It’s also a way of thanking them for giving me the chance to keep living.
‘Dr Maart has insisted that running a marathon is out of the question in my condition, so I’ve decided to take on a challenge involving the hobby he urged me to devote more time to, which is golf.’
And today is the day. ‘I’ll be playing 72 holes of golf at Diss Golf Club (I’ve measured the course and it works out at 26 miles). It should take about 14 hours but the way I’m playing currently I may run out of light. Any support at all would be hugely appreciated and you can donate through my JustGiving page. Any support would mean a great deal to me and to the Hospital.’
As Founding Director of Lagotto Solutions, Graeme oversees a company which helps clients to identify, understand and engage their best potential supporters and investors. To date, the company has worked with more than 200 universities and charities across the globe.
Graeme, who is an alumnus of the University of East Anglia, adds: ‘For those who know what I do, I will also be offering the charity some of my time too!’
Graeme Byrne is fundraising for Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals Charity (justgiving.com). Also, visit nnhospitalscharity.org.uk.
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Fabulous Graeme. Keep up the good work. 👏👏👏