The Hartlepool man who fought back to fundraise again after a quadruple heart by-pass

Unsung hero Ralph Foster is the fundraising manager for Miles for Men.

Back at the start of the pandemic, the 72-year-old had an aortic valve replacement and a quadruple heart bypass at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough after ten years of heart issues.

And yet despite an 11-day stay in hospital, he was back in action as a supporter of Miles for Men by the summer.

It is a cause he has backed for five years and it all started when he did some fundraising himself after his life was ‘touched by cancer’.

"After that, I was invited to do a job for the charity and I felt part of the team. I thoroughly love doing it.”

But despite his impressive efforts, Ralph remained modest and preferred to pass the praise to others at the charity.

He told the Hartlepool Mail: “I am proud of the fact that they are all volunteers and that every penny raised goes back in to the community.”

Miles for Men founder Micky Day praised Ralph and said: “He's a pleasure to have as part the team. After all he's been through, the passion he has for the charity is immense. He is a true gent.”

The former welder, who worked in engineering from when he was 16 to 65, is now a trustee of Miles for Men.

Ralph collects money for the charity but he helps in other ways too. He was a support driver when Miles for Men volunteers tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge recently. Again, he preferred to pass the praise to others and said: “I was proud of the team.”

But Ralph himself has had help from Miles for Men. After his hospital stay in March, it was Miles for Men who turned up at the hospital to make sure he had transport home.

And when asked how long he would keep up his support for the town cause, he said: “How long is a piece of string. It would be wrong to sit and vegetate. When you get to my age you need to have something to focus on.”

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