Wyn Lewis
Friday 31st March 2023
In December, a concert was held a few days before Christmas in Rhosygilwen, West Wales, to remember Wyn Lewis, or ‘Wyn the Vet’ as he was known to all. Wyn died of heart valve disease in December 2019, and the evening was held as a celebration of his life.
Wyn was a popular vet based in Cardigan, West Wales, but was also well known as the founder and conductor of Ar ôl Tri, a male-voice choir based in the town. This was the first opportunity for the choir to organise a concert in memory of Wyn, with proceeds from the fundraiser going to Heart Valve Voice. Wil Woan, the Executive Director, spoke to an audience made of Wyn’s family, friends and community about heart valve disease and the work done by the charity to support people living with the condition.
Performers included three local talented harpists: Gwenllian Hunting-Morris, Awen Esyllt Davies and Annest Mair Davies; also soloists Ceri Davies, Gwyn Morris and Trystan Llŷr. The choir, Ar ôl Tri, were led by conductor Emyr Davies and accompanied by Meinir Jones-Parry. The choir and Wyn’s family would like to thank the staff at Rhosygilwen, the performers and all those who attended a very memorable evening. The event raised nearly £3,000 for Heart Valve Voice.
Wyn’s wife, Lucy, said, “ Wyn was a bit of a local legend in Cardigan and the surrounding area. He was a farm vet with strong connections in the rural community. He was a Deacon in his local chapel Blaenannerch where he is now buried. He founded and conducted a male voice Choir, "Ar ôl Tri" many of the choir became lifelong friends and they won awards in the national Eisteddfods over the years.”
Wyn was diagnosed with heart valve disease in 2010 and had his first surgical valve replacement in 2011. Sadly and unexpectedly, his valve failed in December 2019 after a couple of frustrating years of poor health. He was admitted to the hospital on December 12th 2019 and was then transferred for urgent valve repair. On December 23rd, he received surgery to replace his valve, but there were complications during surgery and after five days on life support, he lost his battle on December 28th.
The choir intended to hold a memorial concert after Wyn died, but due to Covid, they were unable to do so. Eventually, it managed to go ahead in December 2022.
Lucy said, “We wanted to raise money for a charity, so I set to trying to find one I felt would benefit people like Wyn, and I found Heart Valve Voice. Our family want to raise awareness of heart valve disease and the importance of the patient voice. Wyn wanted a scan as he felt things weren’t right. I hope we can highlight the importance of listening to patients. I believe the severity of his disease was overlooked because he was younger and his physical fitness, but Wyn knew something was wrong.”
Heart Valve Voice Executive Director, Wil Woan, said, “Thank you to Lucy, Ar ôl Tri and everyone who attended this concert for supporting us. Wyn’s story sadly highlights the seriousness of heart valve disease, and it is a sad fact that not everyone has a positive outcome. We are honoured that Lucy and Wyn’s friends, family and community have chosen to support Heart Valve Voice in his memory. The Concert was a truly wonderful event, and huge credit must be given to the organisers. The money raised on the night will go towards improving awareness of heart valve disease, and supporting patients as they navigate their journey.”
If you or anyone you know experience symptoms of breathlessness, lightheadedness on exertion, dizziness or feeling older than your age, contact your clinician and ask for a stethoscope check - the first step to timely diagnosis of heart valve disease.
