Monaghan footballer and 2018 All-Star nominee Niall Kearns is urging people, particularly younger sports people, to get checked out if they feel unwell.
The 22-year-old underwent major surgery last year to repair a leaking valve in his heart but is now back playing with his county.
"I was at home one evening, when I was about 16, and bent down to grab a charger and got a shooting pain across my chest. Once that happenend I went to Cavan General Hospital to get checked out", he said.
Niall Kearns was later transferred to Crumlin Children's Hospital before later being referred to the Mater Hospital where an enlargement in his heart was monitored.
"It was around this time last year that I met the surgeon. It was getting bigger each time he saw me and it got to a stage where it needed to be operated on", he said.
Last November, he underwent seven hours of heart surgery to repair the valve, just a week after attending the all-star awards.
"I was called at 10am, I went down and they prepped me and I was on the operating table for about seven hours before I was brought back to the intensive care unit"
Niall said he remembers very little after the surgery, except seeing one of his teammates standing over his hospital bed.
"The first thing I can remember, it's probably the one thing I can remember, was Ryan Wylie from Ballbay looking down on me. He works up in the Mater Hospital as a radiographer. It was good to see someone that you knew".
For the Sean McDermott clubman the winter was long but it was made easier by the support of family and friends, particulary his Monaghan teammates.
"Pre-season for Monaghan started in December. I started back in mid-January getting back out with the team, walking around, just being with the team. I had enough around the house, there's only so much lying around you can do. Getting out with the boys helped me progress and it's something I have to thank the boys for".
He had a a sensational debut season for Monaghan last year, which culiminated in an All-Star nomination. He said his spell away has made him more determined.
"You get to see both sides of it, on and off the field. It just makes you more determined and hungry to get back playing".
While the Dundalk Institute of Technology student missed the league, he has lined out for Monaghan in the championship.
"It's good to be back out and get the full 70 minutes under me two weeks ago. It's good to be back where I left off last year" he said.
He is now urging people, particularly younger people, who may feel unwell to get checked.
"There's no point letting something underlying go unchecked. It's mad what the body can do. Don't think that's you finished, you can always bounce back no matter what"
