A 62-year-old heart attack survivor who initially dismissed the warning signs as indigestion has returned to the hospital where he underwent rehabilitation — to abseil from the roof.
Fred Mendonca, from Sutton, is now urging others not to put off seeking medical attention, as he raises funds for St Helier Hospital with a 125ft abseil — equivalent to the heel-to-crown height of the Statue of Liberty.
Ignoring the warning signs
Fred said he first felt pain in his midriff while at work in June 2024, initially believing it to be indigestion. "I tried to self-medicate at first but it got worse and worse," he said.
Fortunately, Fred's nurse-trained wife intervened and called an ambulance. "I didn't panic at all, but I think Sarah and my wife did," he added. "I don't care what you say, Fred, you are going into hospital [she told me]."
Despite the initial shock for his family, Fred said their minds were immediately put at ease by the efficiency of NHS staff. After being picked up by an ambulance, he said: "They hooked me up to an electrocardiogram and I was being treated in A&E within half an hour."
Diagnosis and recovery
Following the emergency assessment at St George's Hospital in Tooting, doctors concluded he'd had a heart attack and heart failure. "I had no idea I had an arterial clot and was flabbergasted when the consultant said I had suffered an acute myocardial infarction – commonly known as a heart attack – and heart failure," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Praising the staff who helped him in his recovery, Fred said: "What a phenomenal team, from the paramedics to the emergency and ward staff – they were highly professional, efficient, friendly and informative. You know immediately that you are in good hands."
"The two most memorable moments for me were when the consultant said I had had a heart attack, and what also stood out was the efficiency of the system," he said. "Everything is connected. It is really reassuring knowing that. I was looked after by the emergency teams at St George's Hospital, then the cardiac rehabilitation staff at St Helier nursed me back to full health – now I'm focusing on keeping fit. I feel better than I have done in the last 20 years."
Advice to others
When asked what advice he would give others experiencing similar symptoms, he said: "Don't assume it's normal and don't put it off." He urged people to contact 111 or their GP if there was any doubt. Fred's daughter, Sarah Beard, also highlighted the Urgent Community Response Team, which can send clinical staff directly to people's homes. "They may not always all be able to help you, but they can point you in the right direction," she told the LDRS.
The abseil fundraiser
Keen to put his fitness to good use, Fred took on a 125-foot abseil down the façade of St Helier Hospital with Sarah on June 18 to raise funds for the Mary Seacole ward where she works as an occupational therapist. The Mary Seacole Unit provides inpatient frailty and rehabilitation services. Sarah told the LDRS that the money raised would help improve patient care and accessibility across services. "Our goal is to keep people out of hospital and healthy," she said, acknowledging that preventative healthcare was a big challenge for her ward and across the NHS.
The father-daughter duo agreed their abseil marked a "full circle moment", with both Sarah and Fred's wife having been born at St Helier Hospital. Sarah said: "Most of our family was born at St Helier Hospital and the A&E is where all our family goes when we need urgent help, so they've looked after all of us, including my grandad, who used to be a chaplain there." The duo had previously completed a skydive together before his heart attack, but Sarah said the abseil was "a new adventure" for them both.
Event success and hospital funding
The Abseil St Helier event is now in its second year, with more than 70 fundraisers taking part and over £20,000 raised towards a £30,000 target for the hospital charity. Earlier this week, the LDRS revealed how St Helier would soon benefit from £57m of NHS funding to improve and expand its emergency department.
Molly Simpson, Head of Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity, said: "We are incredibly grateful to everyone taking part in this year's abseil – it takes real courage to step over the edge at that height, but everyone is doing it to make a real difference for patients, families and NHS colleagues, and to support our hospitals' life-saving care."
