Heart patient Kevin training for London run
A spirited Cowie man who was diagnosed with a serious heart condition less than a decade ago is now preparing to take on one of the world’s top marathons.
Kevin McMillan (33) was fitted with an internal defibrillator late in 2008 after being told he had dilated cardiomyopathy – a condition which impairs the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body.
And despite being told by medics at the time he may never work again, the 33-year-old has made a remarkable recovery and has April’s London Marathon now firmly in his sights.
Kevin, who works at Sterling Precast in Springkerse as a cement finisher, is taking on the gruelling challenge in aid of charity Cardiomyopathy UK.
He said: “The training is going good at the moment – I’m getting the miles in. I’m going out on runs around Stirling three times each week and I’m taking spin classes too.
“This is the first time I’ve properly trained and prepared for an event like this – and I’ve set myself a target of four and a half hours. However, I’m just wanting to get my hands on the medal and the t-shirt.
“I’m hoping to raise £1500 for Cardiomyopathy UK and have organised a race night for March 3 at McQ’s in Bannockburn to help achieve that.”
Kevin was rushed to hospital after experiencing pains when returning home from work nine years ago. Tests revealed that he had a problem with his heart, and was kept in hospital for two weeks while medics fitted a defibrillator.
He added: “At the age of 24 there was me saying ‘this is it’. It was a real shock. Although I am quite stubborn and when the cardiologists were telling me they weren’t sure if I was going to be able to work again, or what my quality of life would be like, that made me determined to make sure I was able in November 2014 to have the defibrillator removed as medics felt there was no longer any need for it.
He said: “It was all very quick – I was in hospital one day and they were doing the operation the next. I was off work for a few weeks but that was it.
“Although I’ve had no more check ups the cardiologists do say that there’s no guarantee it won’t come back. I suppose it’s just about looking after myself and trying to keep healthy.”
Kevin will be joined in London by girlfriend Jordan Cooper, mum Colleen and sister Eileen and he insists he can’t wait to take on the challenge in aid of the good cause.
“Cardiomyopathy UK have regional groups and I went along to the one in Glasgow a few times. They are good at speaking to you about the condition and answering any questions. They have a lot of specialist knowledge,” he added.
“I’ve got a race night coming up so I hope to reach my fundraising target then. I’d like to thank Total Reinstatement Services (TRS) and John Howe Photography for all their help and support.”
To support Kevin’s fundraising efforts go to justgiving.com/ fundraising/kevin-McMillan84.
I’m going out on runs around Stirling three times each week and I’m taking spin classes too