By Niamh McGovern
“I ran the Torremolinos half marathon on Sunday and was told I needed open-heart surgery on Tuesday.”
These are the words of Enniskillen runner Gareth Reihill, who, after a serious health journey last year, is now sharing his story with the Fermanagh Herald.
The 51-year-old businessman lives in Enniskillen with his wife Mary and son Frankie.
A dedicated member of Enniskillen Running Club, Gareth trains three times a week at St Michael’s track. He credits his family and the running club for supporting him through his recovery from major heart surgery, which has left him with a clean bill of health.
Gareth’s journey began at the age of 25 when a routine GP appointment revealed a heart murmur. He was referred for an echocardiogram and diagnosed with Bicuspid Aortic Valve, a congenital condition where the valve has two cusps instead of the usual three.
The condition affects 1.3 per-cent of the population although many live their entire lives without complications, or even realising they suffer from it.
“After my diagnosis, nothing changed for me at all,” said Gareth.
“Every three to five years I would get a letter to go and get another scan, then never hear anything afterwards.”
However, early last year, following a routine echocardiogram, Gareth was called back for further scans.
“I knew they weren’t calling me back in for nothing, but I thought it may have been to do with a change in doctors,” he recalled.
In February 2024, Gareth joined a group trip to Torremolinos to run a half marathon. At this point, he hadn’t been advised to avoid strenuous activity, so he went ahead as planned.
Two days later, Gareth’s cardiologist, Dr Monaghan, delivered life-changing news: His condition had progressed from mild to severe.
“She said we needed to intervene before more damage was done to the heart muscle,” Gareth said.
“It was time for open-heart surgery.”
Despite the gravity of the news, Gareth remained calm about his situation.
“It’s a hard thing to accept and became nervous, but once I knew it was my only way forward, I felt more at ease,” he said.
Had Gareth not proceeded with the surgery, he would have faced congestive heart failure within three years.
In July, he underwent surgery at the Royal Victoria Hospital, where Dr Ahmed replaced his aortic valve with a mechanical one.
“I remember when I was being pushed down to the theatre I was at ease. I don’t know why,” said Gareth.
“I thought I’d be petrified, but I wasn’t,” he added. “The doctors were so confident and reassuring.”
During his three-month recovery, Gareth missed the social side of running but found immense support from his friends at Enniskillen Running Club.
“The club was amazing throughout my journey,” he said.
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