When Clive Chaplin had a cough and couldn’t catch his breath he ignored it for a week. He ultimately needed 18-hour lifesaving surgery
Clive Chaplin, from Ebbw Vale, fell seriously ill on holiday in Rhodes with his wife Victoria.(Image: BHF Cymru/Clive Chaplin)
Keep-fit enthusiast Clive Chaplin had always been fit and active but at the age of 40 his life changed dramatically.
While helping his wife Victoria train for a triathlon he suddenly became unwell and was forced to cut the session short.
“I just didn’t feel right,” Clive, from Ebbw Vale, said. “I thought it was a virus at first – I had no pain, just a cough, and I couldn’t catch my breath. I ignored it for a week, which was the worst decision I could have made.”
Clive went on holiday to Rhodes, Greece, as planned with Victoria but became seriously ill while abroad. He came home where tests revealed he’d had had a heart attack, which he believes happened during the earlier training session with his wife. Keep up to date with health news and all the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
Clive Chaplin, from Ebbw Vale, completed the Welsh three peaks challenge after having a heart transplant
He was also diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). ARVC, which is also known as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), is a rare condition where the heart’s structure can become weak.
This condition means the cells of the muscle tissue do not develop as they should. Over time, unknown to him, Clive’s condition worsened leading to heart failure.
He was referred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff before being put on the transplant list, which he initially kept this from his family to not burden them with the stress. Clive had a pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted as his health declined while he waited.
Clive spent 10 days in a coma
In March 2017 Clive was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, not fully aware that it would become home for the next five months. Clive’s wait for a donor was full of uncertainty.
On three occasions a potential heart became available but was not suitable for transplant including twice within the same 24 hours. Finally, in June 2017, 14 years after his heart attack, Clive underwent transplant surgery but the procedure was far from straightforward.
“A normal transplant takes nine or 10 hours but mine took 18,” he said.
“It took 12 hours just to remove my heart because it had enlarged so much that it caused problems with my lungs and other organs.”
After the surgery Clive spent 10 days in a coma on life support. Doctors were unsure whether he would survive and he said he went to “some dark places” mentally and physically.
“It was a really tough time for my family,” he said. “Despite the hospital being more than two hours from home Victoria drove to see me every day.”
Clive Chaplin, from Ebbw Vale, completed the Welsh three peaks challenge after having a heart transplant. He is pictured with L-R Ryan Chaplin, Clive Chaplain, and friends Alex Symonds and Matthew Pritchard (Matthew organised the 3 peaks challenge)
Determined to rebuild his strength during his recovery he gradually returned to physical activity. Just six months after his transplant he walked up Pen y Fan with the “support and blessing” from his doctors and cardiac rehabilitation team.
Clive, 63, has just completed his biggest challenge yet – climbing Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), Cadair Idris, and Pen y Fan in one continuous effort and raising nearly £1,500 for BHF Cymru in rthe process.
Now semi-retired, Clive, who formerly ran a used car sales business and now has a part-time property business, walks to keep fit.
“I can’t run like I used to so I started walking more,” he said. “Nine years on I’m still here and still happy so this challenge is about proving what’s possible.”
Clive believes he is the first heart transplant recipient to attempt the Welsh Three Peaks challenge and hopes his story will inspire others as well as highlighting the importance of organ donation.
His son Ryan joined him for the challenge, arranged by former Dirty Sanchez star Matthew Pritchard, and the pair are supporting the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cymru, which funds vital research into cardiovascular disease.
Ryan, 37, has also had some recent challenges with his heart and had an implantable loop recorder fitted last year. Ryan has not been diagnosed with the same condition but has a loop recorder implant in his chest to record any sudden changes in his heart rate
Clive said: “Going through something like this takes you to some very dark places both physically and mentally. But if sharing my story helps even one person, or encourages someone to consider organ donation, it’s worth it as without organ donation I wouldn’t be here.
“There are people who are still waiting and some sadly don’t get the chance I had. That’s why this matters.”
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