Grandad who walked daughter down the aisle days after heart attack honoured with bench

A grandad who walked his daughter down the aisle just hours after he was discharged from hospital following a second heart attack has had a bench installed in his honour.

John Smith, 57, from Monifieth, survived a heart attack in April 2023 – but then went on to have a second heart attack in December that year, just days before his daughter Lauren’s wedding.

Despite leaving the hospital at 1.30pm the day before the ceremony, John was able to walk Lauren down the aisle and deliver his father-of-the-bride speech.

Now a grandfather to Rory, who was born last May, John says he hopes his bench on the banks of the River Tay in Angus will be a “symbol of hope” and a way to break down barriers around cardiac disease.

“It’s a message that even after devastating health events, there can be joy, connection, and meaningful experiences ahead,” he says.

John with his daughter on her wedding day British Heart Foundation

“Hopefully, one day I’ll be able to sit on my bench and have packed lunches with Rory. It has made me remember how things could have turned out a different way.”

The former Scotland hockey player and triathlete is one of dozens of people who have shared their story on camera as part of a new national campaign by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). 

To mark 65 years since BHF began, the charity is unveiling 65 red benches across the UK in tribute to those living with cardiovascular disease, including five benches across Scotland. Each bench represents a real-life story.

Every three minutes, someone in the UK dies from cardiovascular disease, with the condition affecting more than 730,000 people in Scotland alone.

However, a new survey commissioned by BHF of 2,000 UK adults living with cardiovascular disease has found that they can face judgement and embarrassment. 

According to the survey, over half said they have felt judged or embarrassed about their condition, with one in three of those saying they have encountered instances where people think it is self-inflicted.  

Nearly half (48%) said they had experienced challenges with their personal relationships due to their condition, with two in three (65%) saying they had experienced challenges with their mental health.  

And half said cardiovascular disease is not taken as seriously as other conditions, while two in three (68%) say it is not well understood. 

With the disease able to affect anyone, three in four (73%) agreed that people think it only affects certain demographics, such as older people. 

John, a quantity surveyor, says the emotional impact of two heart attacks was much tougher to deal with than the physical recovery.

He said: “I was discharged from hospital at 1.30pm on Friday, and 24 hours later, I walked my daughter down the aisle and was able to do my speech.

“I wouldn’t have been there had it not been for scientific research. The whole day was so emotional, I was in bits.

Although he appeared physically well following treatment, including the insertion of stents, John said he struggled mentally and was unable to return to work for several months

“I received stents both times, and from the outside I looked healthy and well, but inside I was grieving the loss of my former self – a multiple Ironman Triathlete – and trying to understand what my ‘new life’ would be like.

“This lack of identity made me feel isolated and even my wife and children couldn’t ever begin to understand what I was going through.   

“There was a recognisable shift in my mood, behaviour and overall demeanour which led to a downward spiral where I began to feel even more depressed.”

John's bench a 'symbol of hope' — John’s bench a ‘symbol of hope’ British Heart Foundation

John says a combination of counselling and reading testimonials on the BHF website helped him.

“I remember seeing someone who’d had a heart attack, although they’d been fit and healthy all their lives. It showed them playing with their kids and gave me hope that I could get through this. I realised I didn’t have to be defined by this.

“Almost everyone I’ve spoken to cannot believe that I suffered two heart attacks. We need to educate the masses and inform them that cardiovascular disease can affect anyone of any age at any time.”

In 1961, most heart attacks were fatal. At the time, limited research into prevention and treatment meant the survival rate was around three in ten.

With the help of decades of BHF-funded research, those odds have been transformed by life-saving treatments and better detection and prevention strategies. 

One of BHF’s first grants went to Professor Desmond Julian, who set up the UK’s first coronary care unit, placing heart patients in dedicated wards with specialised staff and equipment. The unit reduced deaths by more than 30% in the first year.

Now, coronary care units are routinely seen in hospitals providing heart care, with seven in ten now surviving a heart attack.

British Heart Foundation hopes that the red benches will encourage others to open up about their experience of living with cardiovascular disease and help raise awareness across the UK.  

David McColgan, head of British Heart Foundation Scotland, said: “John’s story shows the true reality of living with cardiovascular disease, and we are so grateful that he is courageously sharing his experiences to help others.  

“Despite being one of the UK’s biggest killers, our new findings show cardiovascular disease is still misunderstood or not taken seriously – and that those living with it face judgement and challenges.  

“By sharing the stories of people who live with cardiovascular disease on our iconic red benches across the UK, we hope to start more conversations that change dangerous misconceptions. Research will help us save and improve more lives, but the only way we can fund the scientific breakthroughs of tomorrow is thanks to the public’s generous donations.”