A bricklayer who suffered a heart attack says he has a new appreciation for life since the major health scare, and now plans to marry his long-term partner. In March 2022, Terry Nodder, 51, thought he had acid reflux but was something more sinister and serious was happening to his body.
Terry from Yorkshire said: “I had a burning sensation in the centre of my chest, but I thought it was acid reflux. I didn’t sleep all night. I couldn’t settle and I was a bit sick. Emma (my partner) went to work that morning and I stayed home.
“I thought I’m just going to check my symptoms online and it said I was having a potential heart attack. I called 999 and I packed myself a bag.”
Terrified he wouldn’t survive, Terry penned a heartfelt letter to Emma. He said: “I didn’t want to leave the building, shall we say, and not put her mind in place about how I feel about her.
“We’ve been together a long time and we’d always talked about getting married one day, so in the letter I explained what she meant to me and that if those financial constraints weren’t there, I’d marry her in a heartbeat.”
Leaving his love letter on the kitchen table, Terry was rushed to hospital where medics checked over his heart. He said: “I didn’t mention it as there was enough going on.
“I had an ECG and the paramedic said there was definitely a discrepancy so they took me to hospital. But it was too late to get a stent fitted as I’d passed the window of opportunity, so any damage that has been done is done.”
He said: “Emma broke down in tears when she visited me. She said you do know I’ve got this letter now and you’ve got no more excuses about not getting married, this counts as a proposal!” And with his newfound lease on life, Terry overhauled his lifestyle to better his health.
“I have a proper approach to food now,” he said. “I’ve been doing jogging as well as lightweights like press squats using kettlebell and things like that. I wasn’t very heavy, I’m 5”9 and was 14 stone, but I was chunky.
“I lost three stone over seven months. My dad’s side and my mum’s side both have a history of heart problems. Out of the family members that have had heart attacks, I’m the only one that survived.”
And thanks to his newfound lease on life Terry completed the Coast-to-Coast Walk, a gruelling 10-day 200-mile long hike, from St Bees in the Lake District to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire, raising £800 for the British Heart Foundation. “I did the Coast to Coast Walk for my cousin, Bernard, who passed away last year,” said Terry.
“He had a heart attack in the night. I took a can of Carling Black Label with me in his honour. The walk was a brilliant experience. It was very tough as there are a lot of hills and tough terrain, but even when I was wet and tired, I was determined to finish and support the British Heart Foundation.
“They helped a lot after my heart attack. I had pamphlets about changing my diet and cholesterol level, which helped me make the changes I needed.” But the real icing on the cake for Terry will be when he ties the knot with Emma in front of 60 guests.
“I can’t wait to marry Emma,” said Terry. “We’re getting married at a hall in Sheffield, just slightly out of town. I think we have about 40 guests in the day and 60 coming in the evening.
“It’s a pretty traditional wedding, but we’re hoping to get married outside if the weather holds up.” And Emma can’t wait to marry the love of her life.
“I’m really excited. I think it’s something really lovely to come out of pretty a horrible situation.
“I find the letter hard to read. I’ve only read it once since because I find it so upsetting to refer back to what happened. But then I think it’s just made us both kind of be more positive. It does make you realise that life’s very short and you’ve got to make most of it.”
