A PHOTOGRAPHER who suffered a heart attack last month hopes to raise funds for the nurses who helped him recover.
Ryan Murrant, of Bishopbriggs, has pledged to donate £150 from each wedding booking made by the end of September to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Heart Health Team.
He said he wanted to “pay something back” to the people that have helped him with his cardiac rehabilitation so far.
The 43-year-old said: “The heart attack was totally unexpected; my age made it even more of a shock.
“I was really impressed with the service, especially with the world as it is right now and the challenges that the NHS faces. The staff were unbelievable.
“The Euros were on when it happened and one nurse said to me, ‘We’re s**** at football, but we’re world class at heart disease’.
“The care was amazing and they really took their time looking after me.”
❤️ Please watch, RT etc ❤️🩹
— Ryan Murrant (@ryanmurrant) July 23, 2021
Over the next couple of months I will donate £150 of every wedding booking I get to support the unbelievable people at @nhsggc_hht
Someone you know will be getting married
📲 https://t.co/7RBeBIdKGb
🖼 https://t.co/4M6vhfSREU@NHSGGC @NHSScotland pic.twitter.com/YZ4Z5SD7s2
Ryan was initially admitted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, then transferred to the Golden Jubilee National Hospital to have a stent fitted.
A stent is a short, wire-mesh tube that helps to keep narrowed or weakened arteries open and restores the flow of blood.
He explained how he understands the strain on the health service as his fiancée, Sinéad, works for the NHS as a midwife.
Ryan said: “I know the challenges that the staff face and I just want to do something to pay them back, really.
“You can always send a card, flowers or chocolates, but I want to do something using my skills and my industry to raise some money.
“Hopefully it can give them a night out or fund something that they need.”
“They could just take your temperature and blood pressure, take some bloods and move on to the next person," he added.
"But they took a lot of time to care and understand what I was going through.
“They might just be doing their job, but they’re doing very well at their job.”
Scottish stars including former Premier League footballer Paul Dickov and TV personality Gail Porter have shown their support for the cause online.
The professional photographer has even had people say that they will match his first donation – despite only announcing the fundraiser on Friday, July 23.
Ryan, who owns photography company Pretty Flamingo Weddings, moved back to Glasgow from Bourne, Lincolnshire six weeks ago.
He set up shop in Box Hub in the city’s Washington Street, near the Kingston Bridge, and had his first shoot in the studio on June 20.
He said: “I’m still trying to establish myself here and I always think it’s better to give back before you take. I just want to help those people that have helped me.
“Someone, somewhere will know a couple who are getting married, so I’m hoping that this can gain some momentum.
“I don’t really know how it’ll go, but even if we could raise a grand, that would be amazing.”
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