The Bucks Herald - Aylesbury, UK
A COURAGEOUS musician who fought his way back to health 14 months after a virus destroyed his heart, is playing in Aylesbury.
Hayden Purcell, 21, of Wing, was struck down by a mystery virus a week before Christmas in 2009. His only chance of survival was to have a heart transplant.
He has made such a brilliant recovery that next week his band will play in a fundraising concert for the hospital which saved his life.
Back in 2009, Hayden, then 19, woke to find his face swollen and was struggling to breathe.
His father took him to accident and emergency in Milton Keynes Hospital but they couldn’t find anything wrong. He was then sent to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for an x-ray and they detected a problem with his heart.
Hayden was rushed to High Wycombe Hospital before being transferred to Harefield where he was put on a priority heart transplant list as medication had failed to stop the virus.
On March 7, 2010, Hayden had a heart transplant and within three days was out of intensive care and home three weeks later.
Hayden is an accomplished musician but had not played piano since he was seven.
But after his operation he had plenty of time on his hands and started playing again. He also plays the guitar, drums, bass, mandolin and cello having taught himself.
He is helping to organize a concert to raise cash for Harefield Hospital as a thank you and to raise awareness for organ donation and transplant.
The concert is called Heartswitch 2011 and will take place in Friars Square on Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
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