A FATHER-and-son who have both suffered heart attacks are teaming up for a 66-mile cycle ride – in memory of the organ donor who has allowed them to ride Etape Loch Ness side by side.

Reg Chisholm received a life-saving heart transplant 17 years ago and will ride the iconic course wearing a jersey bearing a tribute to the unknown donor.

The 62-year-old was gravely ill when he was put on the transplant waiting list after suffering a serious heart attack, which left him struggling for breath and his lungs drowning in fluid.

Incredibly, less than 24 hours after being told by doctors that his only chance of survival was a new heart, he got the call that would change his life.

The operation took place a matter of hours later and was a huge success.

But the family suffered another trauma five years ago, when Reg’s son – Barry – had a heart attack at the age of just 37.

He pulled through and is now being treated for his condition with medication.

Reg, a mechanical engineer, will complete Etape Loch Ness – a 66-mile sportive which loops the iconic loch on April 23 – wearing a jersey showing a heart emblem with the words ‘in memory of my donor’ written on the back.

The Dunbar resident said: “Thanks is not a strong enough term for what my donor did for me.

“I want to honour his life by living mine to the full – I’ve got a duty to him and his family to look after this heart, and that’s why exercise has become so important to me.

“I try to promote organ donation as much as possible, and I know that quite a few people have joined the register after I’ve told them my story.

“We can help as many as seven people when we pass away – that’s a fantastic legacy to leave behind.

“I had been in hospital for assessments, after which a decision is made whether the patient is suitable for transplantation or not, and luckily for me the surgeons placed me on the transplant waiting list.

“I was just about to get in a taxi to take me home and wait on the call to save my life when they said they had found a heart for me and asked if I was ready to accept the heart and undergo the operation.

“It was overwhelming.”

Since the operation, Reg has discovered a love of cycling and within a short time he was clocking up the miles on long rides out on the roads.

He’s competed at transplant events at British, European and World level – bagging medals of every colour along the way.

He added: “The World Transplant Games in Nancy, France, was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

“The athletes marched out into the town square and it was just like being in the real Olympics.

“The crowd and fans created such an electric atmosphere that everyone’s nerve endings were jingling – which created loads of tears as well.”

Forty-two-year-old Barry followed his dad’s lead by exercising to keep his heart healthy and to help stave off the threat of another heart attack.

They have already taken part in a number of cycling events together, and Barry often tows his Scottie dog, Hamish, in a trailer.

Hamish tends to attract more attention that his human companions: he shot to fame in 2014 when he and Barry, along with Barry’s son Aaron, 14, led Team Scotland out at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

In addition to helping his dad raise awareness about organ donation, Barry will be raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support – the official charity partner of Etape Loch Ness – in memory of friend, James Merritt, who sadly passed away in October 2016.

Barry, who also lives in Dunbar, said: “Exercise is so important to keep the heart healthy, and cycling is great because it’s something that my dad and I can do together.

“We’ve come to love our Saturday-morning jaunts.

“My dad was so ill: the transplant not only changed his life, it saved his life.

“He’s really got into the cycling and it’s helped him to lose weight and look after his heart.

“He’s now a lean, mean cycling machine and I am so proud – and so grateful – to be able to cycle with him.”