Hartlepool United legend Micky Barron thankful for "overwhelming" outpouring of support after former Pools defender shares news of serious heart condition
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Barron, who made almost 400 appearances for Pools, admitted it was a "huge shock" after being diagnosed with a serious heart condition and opted to share the news earlier in the week in the hope of spreading awareness.
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Hide AdA hugely popular figure in the North East, Barron, who also had various stints as a coach, assistant and caretaker manager at Pools, received messages of support from far and wide, with more than 135 replies to the post on his X account alone.
The former Middlesbrough and Hartlepool right-back, who captained Pools in the 2005 League One play-off final, said that - like so many people suffering from unexplained symptoms - he was initially reluctant to seek medical help and advice after he noticed a tightness in his chest and that he was feeling more tired and lethargic than normal.
However, after some encouragement from his wife, the legendary defender went for a check-up and is hopeful that his condition has been diagnosed early enough to make it treatable and that, with careful management, it is unlikely to deteriorate.
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Hide AdSince his retirement, Barron has become one of the most recognisable voices inside the Suit Direct Stadium and has established himself as a much-loved summariser for BBC Radio Tees - although he jokingly insists that watching Pools week in, week out has nothing to do with his heart condition.
And Barron is hoping that something positive can come out of such a challenging period for himself and his family and is urging people who might have concerns over their health to visit the doctors.
"I'm alright. It's been difficult the last six to eight weeks, just trying to get your head around everything that's going on," he said.
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Hide Ad"The biggest thing for me is that it's not necessarily going to decline. If the medications work then we're hoping that's all I'm going to need for the rest of my life, just taking a few tablets and making a few life changes.
"The terminology that's used, when they say heart failure, is quite scary. All that means is that something's wrong with your heart, it's not working properly.
"Basically, the left-hand side of my heart isn't working as it should, so the right-hand side is overcompensating and working too hard.
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Hide Ad"I've had a tight chest, some headaches and some tiredness and I put something on Twitter the other day just so that if other people are feeling like that, to try and get to the doctors and get some help themselves.
"I put off the symptoms for probably longer than I should, it was only when things got really bad that I decided to go to the doctor’s, and they sent me to hospital.
"If you're having problems, don't wait. It can make a massive difference, don't let it drag on. If I had let it drag on longer, it could have been a lot worse and a lot more serious.
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Hide Ad"You can always find a reason or an excuse for not doing things, and I think it was my wife that really encouraged me to go to the doctor. I couldn't manage my days.
"It isn't always easy to take that first step, but it's so important. The support is there.
"The support meant a lot, it was absolutely fantastic. I didn't do it for that reason but the response has been overwhelming, I can't thank people enough."
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