💪 Born a Fighter — Still Standing in 2025

I came into this world in June 1965, six weeks premature.

At just six weeks old, I was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital — my parents were told I wouldn’t make it through the night.
But I did.
And here I am, sixty years later, still fighting.

My life has never been a straight road.
In 2003, I was rushed back from the USA with chronic pancreatitis — another battle that should’ve knocked me down for good.
It didn’t.
Every setback just gave me another reason to get up, learn, and share what I’ve been through.

Fast forward to 2025 — a year that’s tested me more than ever.
Cataract surgery (twice) with complications.
Splenic infarcts.
Heart failure with an ejection fraction of 20–25%.
Breathing problems.
Hospital wards, sleepless nights, and the sound of heart monitors that never let you forget where you are.

But I’m still here.
Still walking.
Still breathing.
Still telling my story — because if sharing it helps one person face their own fight, then it’s all worth it.

To the lads I met on the ward: shut up and listen.
Listen to your body.
Take your meds.
Rest. Recover.
You can walk out that door — just like I did.

Throw whatever you like at me.
I’ll still get up, walk away, and write about it.
Because some of us were just born to fight — and to help others find their strength too.

#StillFighting #HeartFailure #ChronicIllness #Recovery #MensHealth #Resilience