A BALLYNAHINCH man has shared his story as part of a campaign to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease.
John McGrillen wants to encourage people to pay attention to the full range of heart attack symptoms, including the less common symptoms he experienced.
In April 2025, after 10 years at the helm of Tourism NI, John was looking forward to his “swansong” at The Open at Royal Portrush before retiring, followed by a trip to Florence with his wife. Instead, on Easter Sunday, after a round of golf, John ended up in the cardiac unit at the Ulster Hospital.
Tests revealed that he was at high risk of a heart attack, and seven weeks later he underwent open-heart surgery.
John said: “Prior to my cardiac incident, I had a pretty normal lifestyle.
“However, I have a family history of cardiovascular disease.
“My dad died of a heart attack when he was just 48.
“My mum had a triple heart bypass at 75 and she’s still going strong at 94.”
John described experiencing a sudden “whoosh”, sickness, tightness across his chest and brief breathlessness after running back to his car for a golf trolley battery.
Although the symptoms passed and he completed his round, his family history prompted him to seek medical help.
He said: “My wife was away but my sister Anne-Marie was in the house and so she took me to A&E in the Ulster Hospital.
“When I told them I had chest pain I received immediate attention.”
An angiogram showed that John needed further treatment.
He said: “The consultant said we can give you four or five stents but advised it would be better given my family history and high risk of a heart attack to have a double bypass.”
After surgery and cardiac rehabilitation, John returned to Portrush for The Open just eight weeks after the operation.
He said: “I feel great now but if I’m honest it makes you aware of your mortality – I could have been dead.”
Read the full story in the current issue of the Mourne Observer Down Recorder edition.
