As the Electric Cranks Cycling Club were gearing up for their sponsorship drive, they needed a push to get their logistics on track.
The club consists of pre/post-op heart transplant outpatients, with the majority of riders having Left Ventricular Assist Devices (L-VADs). This is an electric drive with a magnetically levitated rotor implanted into the chest cavity which is used to pump oxygenated blood around the body. The L-VAD is connected to an external motor controller via a driveline exiting the abdomen. These life sustaining devices are powered by 2x 4Ah batteries the cyclists wear on their bodies. This gives each L-VAD recipient some 16-18 hours of autonomy before batteries need to be swapped or re-charged.
As part of their continued sponsorship drive, the group completed a 115 mile cycle from South Stack in West Anglesey, finishing at Chester on the English-Welsh border. The journey was a 3-day slog along the picturesque North Wales coastline, battling both weather and terrain, with stops at Rhyl and Bangor on the way.
Besides peddling their bikes between checkpoints, the group also needed to ensure vital medical equipment and personal belongings were moved in tandem. Members weren’t too keen on saddling the additional weight in backpacks. So ETPS gifted use of a company van for them to streamline the logistics of the journey.
One of the objectives of the cycling club is to demonstrate and inspire others that an active lifestyle is possible with an L-VAD. Along with promoting awareness of heart failure the group also provides mentoring and support to peers.
Each club member is dependent on the amazing specialist medical team from Wythenshawe Hospital Transplant Centre in Manchester. They provide 24 hour monitoring, care and equipment maintenance to ensure that outpatients maintain a high quality of life.
The fundraising activities of the club help raise money for New Start. The charity supports the heart and lung transplantation programme at Wythenshawe Hospital, helping it to stay at the forefront of excellence. If you would like to donate to New Start, you can do so here.
Updates regarding the Electric Cranks can be followed on their Facebook group, or on their X page.
