A Nantgaredig family is helping British Heart Foundation Cymru to fund its lifesaving research into heart and circulatory diseases.  

The charity’s ‘gift that keeps on living’ campaign is highlighting stories like that of Lyn Rowlands to show how vital the British Heart Foundation’s research is.

Lyn, 68, from Nantgaredig, had stents fitted in 2020. The tiny devices are used to keep arteries open and save lives. Stents can treat heart attacks and angina when used in your coronary arteries.

They are inserted in an angioplasty procedure, either as an emergency to treat a heart attack, or in a planned way to widen an artery that is being narrowed by a build-up of fatty plaque.

After Lyn had his procedure, his nine-year-old granddaughter Anwen Purnell was inspired to support the British Heart Foundation and raised over £200 for the charity’s research this year in a 5k fundraising challenge.

Anwen said: “I really enjoyed doing the 5k and I’m very proud of myself for collecting £205 for the British Heart Foundation.  I chose the British Heart Foundation because my Tadcu had an operation on his heart, and I wanted to say thank you.”

MORE NEWS

Anwen’s Mamgu, Lyn’s wife Jane Rowlands said: “We are very proud of Anwen that she’s shown so much love towards her Tadcu and choosing to fundraise in support of British Heart Foundation following his heart operation. Anwen and her sister, Carys are very much loved by us both.”

The family visited the British Heart Foundation’s furniture and electrical store in Carmarthen to meet store manager Linda Ryan and head of BHF Cymru, Rhodri Thomas.

Rhodri, whose hometown is Carmarthen, said: “It was a privilege to meet Anwen and her wonderful family to thank them in person for their support of the British Heart Foundation.

“They are rightly very proud of Anwen and her sister Carys, and I wish them all a very merry Christmas, from all of us at the BHF.

“At Christmas, we usually gift material things. But for this festive season, we’re asking people to give the gift of a longer life for people with heart conditions, by helping to fund our groundbreaking research.  

“It is only thanks to the generous donations of the public that we can provide hope for people like Lyn and find the cures and treatments of tomorrow.”