A LOCAL man with a life-threatening condition has become the first patient in Cornwall to be fitted with a new type of mechanical heart, by the famous Royal Brompton Hospital at Harefield.

Known as an LVAD (left ventricular assist device), the mechanism takes over from the heart pumping blood out of the lungs and into the body.

Chris Schaffer (57), who spent many weeks in hospital at Derriford, Liskeard and finally at Harefield, had an emotional return to his home at the beginning of this month.

'There were quite a few times when I thought I would never see The Tamar Bridge again,' said Chris.

'I went into cardiac shock when my whole body shut down, on the evening of my daughter Victoria Lyth's 30th birthday, back in May.

'I was put into intensive care at Derriford and spent more than three weeks in an induced coma, with my family being called to my bedside as I wasn't expected to live.

'But I am a survivor and I surprised my loved ones and the medical staff.'

During this time Chris missed his 35th wedding anniversary, but when he was brought out of his coma he promised to make it up to his wife Dee when he got better.

Chris was later transferred to Liskeard Community Hospital for a few weeks for physiotherapy before going back to Derriford, where the cardiologist referred Chris to Harefield, which specialises in heart transplants.

Chris qualified for a transplant but unfortunately time for him was running out, so the surgeons decided to fit him with the LVAD Circulite System, a pioneering mechanism made in Germany. Chris was only the seventh person in the UK to be fitted with one – and the the first in Cornwall.

As an added twist, on the night before her dad's major operation, Victoria herself was taken ill.

She collapsed at her new workplace at The Cardinal's Hatt near St Mellion, where she is the manager, on the venue's opening weekend. She ended up in Derriford and had an operation to be fitted with an ILR to record her heartbeats.

Victoria came home from hospital just a few days before her dad, and the family is now happily reunited.

For the seven weeks that Chris was in Harefield, his wife Dee was able to stay with daughter Kelly, who lives nearer to the hospital, so she could visit each day, and daughter Tammy was also able to visit.

'When dad came home all the neighbours came out and there were balloons everywhere,' said Victoria.

'We both cried and we now have matching scars.'