A diehard Parramatta Eels fan has been bowled over with an unexpected act of kindness from his beloved footy club after he was forced to cancel his membership.
Sydney father-of-two Roy Padlan suddenly became unwell on June 12 and was rushed to Blacktown Hospital with vertigo and nausea.
An angiogram revealed a stent inserted after a previous heart attack had become blocked.
Mr Padlan would end up undergoing two open heart surgeries, including a triple bypass, and spending a month in hospital due to complications.
With Mr Padlan expected to be out of work for some time, his wife Liz told nine.com.au that she reluctantly contacted the Parramatta Eels to ask if they could cancel the family's membership for this season.
"Family membership is over $1000 so it's not cheap. I just thought I will ask and see whether they are able to refund the membership," she said.
Not only did the club refund the money but they also promised to send out a "small gift" in the post, Mrs Padlan said.
"I didn't know what it was going to be. I thought it might be a stubby holder or something like that," she said.
What actually arrived in the post was a 2020 jersey signed by the Eels team.
"When I saw it I was so surprised. I wasn't expecting that, especially as I was asking to leave the club," Mrs Padlan said.
"I was thinking oh my gosh, Roy's going to have another heart attack when he sees this."
Not wanting to risk getting her husband's heart racing while he was still so unwell, Mrs Padlan said she waited until he got home from hospital for the big reveal.
"I laid it out on our bed and the day I brought him home that's what greeted him when he walked in," she said.
"He said, 'What is this?' He almost wet himself he was so excited.
"I told him it was just a 'small gift' from the Eels."
Mr Padlan, who is such a big Parramatta fan that he has personalised Eels plates on his car, loved his jersey so much that he didn't even want to put it on for a photo and is now planning to have it framed, Mrs Padlan said.
Staff at the Parramatta Eels headquarters had also offered to host Mr Padlan at a 2020 game when he felt up to it, she said.
Thanks to his GP and doctors, Mr Padlan is continuing to make a good recovery.
"We are feeling very blessed that Roy gets to live another day and watch his two girls grow up," Mrs Padlan said.
Replies
wow, nice of the club. My cousins husband, also a tragic eels supporter all his life is currently (as i type) under going a triple bypass himself up in tweed heads. Came home feeling dizzy, was really crook the next day so they took him to the hospital where they told him he had had two heart attacks. He isnt a member of the club, wonder if they could do something for him? My cousin (his wife) a mad sea eagles fan even turned up to hosptial in an eels jersey to lift his spirits. lol
Really great story . Great thing Eels staff , and players for signatures to jersey . Framed jersey signed by 2020 premiers will be worth a few bob .
This story is a reminder for men to get their hearts checked. There have been plenty of men who have died in recent years from sudden cardiac events. Often these men have experienced some form of symptom/s in the lead up such as dizziness, breathlessness, palpitations, chest pain or blackouts during physical activity. If you experience any of those go to your doctor for a check up.
I'm in my 20s and every two years I get a blood test and visit my cardiologist to check my heart health. Don't be too proud to drop into your GP for a check up.
When I went for a run the other morning I thought I was going to have a cardiac arrest. My mind still thinks I'm a teenager but my body soon reminds me I'm getting towards 50. Certainly a good messsage to put out there to everyone Super.
Don't I know this feeling !!
you can get a CAT scan of your heart that apparently measures the calcium levels. - costs about $150 after a doctors referral. Best $150 you will ever spend.
As an bloke who is getting on, ive lost a couple of mates due to heart attack and a few have had this done and had a big wake up call !
For sure none of us are getting any younger, sometimes I get my ambitions mixed up with my abilities. I had an ECG done a few years back and got the all clear.
I do remember from when I was doing physiology at uni many years ago they said a reasonably high percentage of people have some sort of defect in their heart "wiring" which most times never causes a problem. If you undergo intense physical activity or a stressful event then problems may surface.
Like Super said it's surprising how many people, even in their 40's, have a feeling of being unwell go to the doctor and get checked out to find there is some sort of heart or circulatory issue. This has happened to a few of my wife's friends - scary.
I had two ECGs and an angiogram done last year after I had palpitations and skipped beats. Turns out I have an ectopic beat where my heart slightly goes out of rhythm every now and again. It shows up more when I'm really fatigued. No wonder it was there when my son was born, I was sleeping about four hours a night. It's disappeared for about nine months now but it was scary the first time it happened given there is a history of cardiac problems in my family.
Nice to hear!
Great story. Hope Roy recovers 100% and can enjoy life with his family.
All the power to Roy and well done to the club.
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