Paul Wapham, 42, was out doing his regular morning run when he was suddenly struck by a “massive chest pain”.
The dad who runs two to three times every week instantly recognised that this wasn’t normal.
The CEO of Hockey Wales managed to dial his wife on his smart watch who immediately took him to hospital.
Paul, who lives in Morriston, Swansea, told Wales Online: “My chest felt tight and then I was on my hands and knees on the road. Initially, it was a bit tight but then it felt like it was being squeezed, like a vice. The pain was incredible.
“I managed to use my watch to phone my wife, Laura. Luckily, I was only five minutes away, so she could take me in the car to the hospital. She ran in and called for paramedics, who quickly came and took over.”
The 42-year-old dad was suffering from a heart attack that was triggered by a total blockage in one of his arteries.
After initially being assessed in the emergency department, he was taken to the catheterisation laboratory at the hospital’s Cardiac Centre, where he underwent a procedure to unclog this blocked artery.
Paul said: “They took me down and carried out emergency angioplasty. They removed the blockage and then I also had to have a stent fitted.
“I was told I also had pulmonary oedema, where my lungs were filling with fluid. Because it happened early in the morning, staff had to come in from home to do the procedure.”
The dad then spent the next six days recovering in the coronary unit before being allowed to return home.
As a part of his ongoing rehabilitation, the 42-year-old will be attending an after-care service at the hospital.
He added: “It was a bit of a shock as I’m not overweight and I try to keep myself fit so I had no risk factors. It was a shock for everybody really, including my family.”
Paul has now thanked staff for the care he received during his time in hospital. He said: “The care I received was brilliant. I can’t speak highly enough of the staff. I am also really thankful to my wife for bringing me to hospital because it was a shock for her as well.
“It was pretty tense for a couple of hours. It’s reassuring to know that when you need the emergency department, the staff are there for you. The staff there were just awesome, and I just want to say a big thank you to all of them.”
