A veteran who suffered a cardiac emergency six months ago is taking on a 230-mile cycle ride in under twenty-four hours in aid of the Charity that saved his life.
Brian Hughes, who is originally from Scotland, runs a building company in Conwy and says he ‘wouldn’t be here without the lifesaving service.’
Back in March, Brian was doing his first 100-mile ride of the year, when he started to feel ‘very unwell’.
The 64-year-old said: “I was in an area with no signal, so I had to find a local house in the hope of being able to use their phone.
“I was initially going to call my wife, but fortunately decided to dial 999 first, as it started to become clear that I was suffering a medical emergency.
“About an hour later, the ambulance arrived and did an ECG and informed me that I was having a heart attack, which changed the whole dynamics of the event.”
Due to the nature of Brian’s condition, Wales Air Ambulance was dispatched. Clinicians administered additional cardiac medication at the scene to complement the treatment already given by the Welsh Ambulance Service crew. He was then transferred by air to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.
Brian said: “The first thing I remember was the uncertainty around what was happening and thinking ‘am I going to make it?’ But once the helicopter doors opened and the pilot talked to me, I was at ease.
“He asked me if I was ex-military and said he had served and one of the CCPs was also former armed forces, so there was a lot of banter whilst I was receiving treatment at the scene. It just made me feel reassured and safe.”
Brian started with the military at the age of sixteen, with the Junior Leaders Service, and then served in the Royal Corp of Transport based in Germany. He did tours in Northern Ireland, Canada, and small operations all around the globe.
He said: “I cannot thank the Wales Air Ambulance team enough. The Charity, and the whole of the NHS, when called upon are fantastic. But just from that day personally, the pilot’s voice stays with me.
“I am welling up here, I’ve learnt so much about the service since my health emergency.
They are operational 24/7, bring the emergency department to patients, and can get to the places you don’t think are possible to save lives!”
Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.
It is delivered via a unique third-sector and public-sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency critical care.
Brian says without the assistance of the Wales Air Ambulance, he wouldn’t have made the recovery he has.
He continued: “I was flown to Glan Clwyd Hospital, where I received an angiogram and was told I had a blockage in my heart.
“They do not know what caused the rupture. There are lots of things that can contribute to it but I was told it was not from over-exerting my body.”
Brian remained in hospital for a week and says he did ‘everything they asked’. He joined a heart rehab programme with the NHS for 8 weeks and was then told he could get back on his bike.
He said: “At that point, I knew I wanted to do something for Wales Air Ambulance and had planned to do that in 2026, when I was a bit stronger.
“But then I noticed the cycle charity ride with Shane Williams and decided I would do the route from Cardiff to the Dafen airbase and continue up to its operation at Caernarfon Airport.
“So, the plan is to cycle over 230 miles in 24 hours and at the end, I will meet the air crew who cared for me on the day of my incident.”
Brian is not doing the mighty trek alone; he does have a support team, with two of his cycling friends joining him on their bikes and another following in a van.
A big rugby fan, he is particularly looking forward to his own version of Scotland v Wales when he goes head-to-head with Shane Williams on the start line.
With a wry smile, he said: “I still hold a grudge against him for the 2010 game, where he scored the winning try against the Scots in Cardiff, completing a remarkable Welsh comeback. He’s got a lot to answer for.
“I am looking forward to being part of his army! That’s the thing about rugby, it is quite a unique sport, in that the banter is friendly among the home nations.”
Brian has a son and daughter from his first marriage and is stepdad to his wife Vera’s children. Brian and Vera celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this year. He says all of them are getting behind his fundraising challenge.
He said: “I’ve got a JustGiving page, and I’ve exceeded my fundraising target of £1,000 already.
“So, I hope that people will see what I am trying to achieve and help me raise as much as I can for this incredible Charity.”
Two companies based in North Wales, Thornley Leisure Parks and Crime Prevention Services, who have both used Brian’s services over the years, are backing him in this challenge by sponsoring Shane’s shirt – adding another £1000 to the charity ride.
Elaine Orr, the Charity’s Fundraising Manager for North West Wales, said: “Brian has set himself an extraordinary challenge just six months after needing our service.
“The whole Wales Air Ambulance family was stunned to learn that he was not only taking on the 100km bike ride with Shane Williams but continuing the journey north straight after.
“By his own admission, he has never done this distance before. We will all be cheering him on when he rides in aid of our Charity.
“We are delighted that Brian has made a full recovery, and we are deeply touched that his first thought was to fundraise for us.
“Our supporters are key to everything we do, enabling us to continue to be there for the people of Wales wherever and whenever they need us.
“Every pound raised by Brian and his crew will go towards helping save lives.”
