A routine cardiac screening has transformed the life of a Cardiff man who discovered he had unknowingly suffered a heart attack and required urgent treatment to restore blood flow to his heart.
Simon Morris, 55, agreed to pay £300 for a heart scan after his daughter had been offered free screening by Welsh charity Calon Hearts UK. He had no symptoms and no reason to suspect anything was amiss, but the scan revealed he needed an angioplasty—a procedure to reopen narrowed or blocked arteries supplying blood to the heart.
"I was 55, I'd never had such a scan before, so I thought, why not... just get it done and out of the way. It turns out it was the best £300 I've ever spent."
When Morris was screened in October 2025, cardiologist Dr Omar Aldalati identified the problem during the scan and arranged for him to go straight to hospital. Doctors found a clot in a main heart artery and treated it during angioplasty after an angiogram. Investigations also revealed that Morris had experienced what is known as a "silent" heart attack—one that produces no noticeable symptoms at the time.
What warning signs did he miss?
Looking back at his medical history, Morris recognised that he had overlooked crucial warning signs. During walks with his daughter and son, he had experienced chest pains but dismissed them as stomach problems rather than cardiac symptoms.
"When I was going for big walks with my daughter and my son there were pains in the chest area which I just attributed to stomach issues. But now... I look back and go, 'what an idiot. You should have done something about that then. That was your chance, you missed it'."
At the time of his screening, Morris had been running weekly and had hiked Pen y Fan and the Garth, unaware that his heart was in danger. After his diagnosis, he completed a 12-session cardiac rehabilitation programme to support his recovery.
How has he returned to activity?
Following cardiac rehabilitation, Morris has returned to an active lifestyle and taken on a significant physical challenge to give back to the organisation that saved his life. He climbed Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, with the goal of raising £10,000 for Calon Hearts UK.
According to reporting from 9 October, Morris completed the climb and had raised more than £9,200, with donations continuing towards his £10,000 target. He initially set a fundraising goal of £1,000, but the response was so generous that he increased it; he noted that the donations could help Calon Hearts screen hundreds more people.
"I wanted to give something back to the charity that had potentially saved my life, and if I was going to do something, it felt appropriate to take on something as big as Yr Wyddfa."
Morris expressed gratitude to the cardiologist who identified his heart problem during the initial scan, and he has since been helping raise awareness of Calon Hearts' work, which includes CPR training and free screening for those aged between 15 and a half and 26, as well as part-funded tests for older patients.
What is a silent heart attack?
A "silent heart attack" is a heart attack that occurs without noticeable symptoms. These events are often only discovered weeks, months or years after they happen, typically during a routine check-up or when a patient develops ongoing symptoms such as chest pain or breathlessness. Silent heart attacks are common, estimated to account for around a third of all heart attacks.
What are the signs of a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked and can be life-threatening, requiring emergency hospital treatment. Symptoms may include chest pain that feels like crushing or squeezing and may spread to the arm, neck and jaw; a sensation similar to indigestion with a burning feeling in the chest and a sense of fullness or bloating; and pale, blue or grey skin—which on black or brown skin may be more visible on the palms of the hands. The NHS advises calling 999 if you experience any of these symptoms.
How is Calon Hearts expanding its screening work?
The charity has significantly expanded its reach across Wales. In June 2026, a Calon Hearts screening event at North Cardiff Medical Centre offered more than 250 appointments, with all slots booked. The organisation has now screened more than 34,800 people, trained over 600,000 in CPR and helped place more than 37,000 defibrillators across the country.
What screening opportunities are available?
Calon Hearts continues to offer free screening sessions for young people. The charity has scheduled a free screening session for those aged 15½ to 27 years at the Feathers Hotel in Aberaeron on 30 October 2026, as part of its ongoing commitment to early detection and prevention of heart disease in younger populations.
Key Facts:
- Simon Morris discovered through a £300 private heart scan that he had suffered a silent heart attack and required angioplasty to treat a clot in a main heart artery
- He completed a 12-session cardiac rehabilitation programme and returned to climbing mountains, raising over £9,200 for Calon Hearts UK during his Snowdon climb
- Silent heart attacks account for approximately one third of all heart attacks and are often only detected during routine medical check-ups
- Calon Hearts has screened more than 34,800 people, trained over 600,000 in CPR and helped place more than 37,000 defibrillators across Wales
- The charity offers free screening for ages 15½–27 and part-funded screening for older patients, with upcoming sessions scheduled throughout 2026
