Nurse-turned-actor from Haywards Heath records fundraising Christmas song after heart operation

Breandan O’Connor, who recently underwent open heart surgery, made a music video of himself singing ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ in aid of the British Heart Foundation and the Sussex Heart Charity.

People can watch it on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgjXPcMOpyU&t=49s and donate at www.justgiving.com/page/brendan-oconnor-1701845622648.

The British Heart Foundation announced the video on December 15, saying that nurse-turned-actor Breandan, 63, had a triple heart bypass in July this year. They said he first noticed a problem after having an unusual pain in his chest while walking up a hill.

Breandan said: “At the time, I wasn’t worried I thought I was just unfit. I’d gotten out of the habit of going to the gym during the lockdowns. But with my years of nursing, I knew that pain could be the sign of something else, so I thought I better get it checked out.”

But BHF said doctors discovered that three of the arteries in Breandan’s heart were dangerously narrowed.

Breandan said: “I was angry and surprised. I don’t drink or smoke. It felt like I’d been dealt a bad hand. But I quickly came to the view that there was no point wasting energy on something I couldn’t change.”

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He said he was able to leave the hospital after three days, adding: "The biggest concern of the staff was dressing maintenance and wound management. I’d had a lot of experience of that, so I was able to show the nurses that I was able to changes my dressing, so they were happy for me go home.”

Breandan decided to raise funds for charity as a way of thanking the doctors and nurses who helped him.

In 2015, Breandan, who had worked in nursing for 25 years, decided to start training as an actor. The BHF said that since then he has combined working as a nursing temp with roles in West End shows. They said he has starred in a film that was released in Cannes, and an upcoming Disney+ TV series.

Breandan said: “I would have loved to pursue an acting career earlier, but I’ve realised that my nursing journey was the best training you could have. No drama school can teach you what you learn about life working in a hospital at 1 o’clock in the morning.”

On his choice of fundraising song, he said: “I thought it would be a really nice way to say thank you. I choose this song because it’s a very optimistic and about moving forwards and looking to the future.”

The BHF said there are more than seven million people living with a heart and circulatory disease in the UK. The BHF funds research into heart conditions and their risk factors.

Helen Smith, BHF Fundraising Manager for Sussex, said: “It’s good to hear that Breandan has made such a good recovery after his heart operation and is using his creative talents to spread an important message. This festive season we're asking people to give ‘a gift that keeps on living’ by funding ground-breaking heart research.”