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Don Stark in hospital with wife Yvonne (L) and daughters Pip (2L) and Hattie (R). A father-of-two suffered a heart attack during a 133-mile charity cycle ride without realising it and FINISHED the race. See NTI story NTIHEART. Don Stark, 59, began feeling shortness of breath and tightness in his chest 40 miles into the gruelling two-day trek from Whitehaven, Cumbria, to Sunderland on June 13, but he put it down to a chest infection and battled on. Incredibly, he even cycled through the grounds of a hospital after suffering his coronary. After finishing the race in 5th place out of 16 riders his symptoms persisted and his wife, 50-year-old primary school teacher Yvonne, convinced him to go to the doctor. The next day Don’s GP told him to go to Scunthorpe General Hospital immediately where an ECG test revealed he’d had a heart attack. He was admitted later that day and is still awaiting triple heart bypass surgery. His family fear he may suffer another heart attack while he’s awaiting transfer to Castle Hill Hospital in Hull. But Don is more concerned about getting back on the bike so he can raise funds for Way of Hope – a Christian Charity which helps orphans in Hungary and Romania.

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