The longest serving member of the cardiac physiologist department at the West Suffolk Hospital has helped to boost the funds of the Every Heart Matters appeal.
Ed Wilson took part in the Great East Swim completing the two-mile course at Alton Water, near Ipswich, in one hour, 12 minutes and 47 seconds, raising £500 for the campaign.
The money is the latest amount to be given to the appeal which is aiming to raise £500,000 to help create a fully integrated cardiac centre at the hospital, in Bury St Edmunds.
Ed, who lives in Mead Road, on the Moreton Hall Estate, swims regularly at Culford School and said he had taken part in the event before swimming the one-mile course but decided to double the distance this time round.
“It was really good and I came 152nd out of 265 swimmers but ninth in my age group and gender,” said the 45-year-old who has been a member of the cardiac physiologist team at the hospital since 2001.
“It’s a great event and wonderful to swim in open water although I was hoping to get a better time.”
And he said the fundraising for the new centre was vitally important for the area and should be an “exciting” time for the staff.
“I think that it’s very important with our demographics to have the unit together and it should be exciting for all of us. It will be a one stop shop and I’m looking forward to its completion.”
Sally Daniels, appeal manager, said “We can’t thank Ed enough for supporting us. The diagnostic staff have been amazing at getting behind this appeal because they know how important it is that they join the new cardiac suite. It really will make a huge difference”.
The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is investing £5.2m in developing a state of the art cardiac suite that will provide quicker access to more treatments, but the £500,000 My WiSH Charity is hoping to raise will lead to the whole unit, which is currently fragmented on different floors, being brought together in one purpose-built centre.
If you want to support the Every Heart Matters appeal go to the website www.mywishcharity.co.uk and if you would like to donate to the appeal you can do so by going to Justgiving.com/ehma or text EHMA17 £10 to 70070.
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