ON Sunday, the County Down Marshalls’ motorcycle run will be held in support of the Heart Failure Warriors, a charity which Downpatrick man Aidan Flanagan said changed his life.
Aidan suffered heart failure 21 years ago.
The devastating effects of that meant he could no longer work and it left him chronically tired.
He has twice had the last rites.
However, he met the Heart Failure Warriors group in November 2025, and he realised that things were going to be different.
“My life changed in a few months,” Aidan said.
Heart failure is a term used to describe the heart’s inability to pump blood efficiently around the body.
It is more prevalent in people over 65, but it can affect anyone.
Aidan, who is 67, and was diagnosed with the condition when he was 46, met the Heart Failure Warriors group and they taught him that he could have a better lifestyle.
“They told me that I should see a cardiologist.
I hadn’t seen one for 15 years.
I hadn’t had an echocardiogram (an ultrasound scan on the heart) since 2017.
“Since being in Heart Failure Warriors, I have had my old heart medications changed to modern ones.
“I have had all the tests done and up to date and back in the system.
“I got all that done inside a month.”
Aidan said that the Heart Failure Warriors provide peer support, something which he has not experienced before.
“I can’t fault the treatment I had 21 years ago,” he said.
“But you don’t get the opportunity to meet other people with heart failure.”
Heart Failure Warriors is a nonprofit patient and carer-led support group which offers vital support to people across Northern Ireland affected by heart failure.
They empower the patients and support their families, caregivers and friends.
It was set up by Nicole McKelvie, who is from Banbridge.
She was diagnosed with severe heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy in January 2023.
She began the group when she realised there was a need for support for those with heart failure.
Nicole said: “When I was finally discharged from hospital, I started looking for help and support as I was overwhelmed and felt very isolated with my diagnosis.
“I couldn’t find anything specific for heart failure.
“I had the fortune to meet some other patients and families living with heart failure through the help of two cardiologists, Dr Patricia Campbell and Dr Alastair Grey, along with heart failure nurses and cardiac rehab nurses.
“Together, we as patients and family members agreed that we needed a peer support group in place and were determined that this service was not going to be a postcode lottery; especially as a lot of us had family members and friends in other trusts living with the same life-changing condition.
“Services in each of the five trusts vary, and we wanted to be able to support everyone equally.”
The peer support which Aidan has praised is a key element of the Heart Failure Warriors group.
Nicole said: “Peer support isn’t about giving medical advice.
It’s about walking alongside someone who’s scared or overwhelmed and showing them they’re not alone.
“Peer support groups are crucial for heart failure patients because they reduce isolation, offer shared lived experience and practical advice for managing daily symptoms, and improve mental well-being by reducing anxiety.”
