DOUGLAS, MASS. (WHDH) – A man from Douglas is going the distance, becoming the first person with an artificial heart valve to run all six major marathons.
Ed Barnes had open heart surgery when he was a sophomore in high school; the recovery took some time, but he did not let that stop him from playing sports.
He said he was inspired to run marathons after watching his cousin run the Boston Marathon after having brain surgery.
Now he’s serving a mentor for people with heart conditions with the organization Abbott Heartmates.
“It’s great to be able to go into those huddles that we have and talk to some of the younger people going through heart surgery and let them know that things are going to be okay, there’s still a lot you can do with life and just being proof that you can go out there and accomplish great things, I think it’s really important for the next generation of cardiac patients,” Barnes said.
Barnes said if you’re recovering from an injury or surgery it’s important to listen to your doctor, learn what your limitations are, and keep pushing, saying that what you can accomplish might surprise you.
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