Community
14 November, 2023
Sam’s lucky to be alive
AFTER a heart attack and life-and-death quadruple bypass surgery earlier this year, NRL legend Sam Backo is calling on the community to get a free heart health check and help reduce the figures of coronary disease in Queensland.
Despite always maintaining good habits and staying in shape, the former Bronco’s star lived through one of the most harrowing experiences of his life after suffering a massive heart attack in April at Cairns Hospital.
Surviving and overcoming a quadruple bypass surgery in Brisbane, Mr Backo is calling on the FNQ community to not rest on their laurels when it comes to their heart health.
“I came in for a bilateral knee reconstruction to Cairns Hospital and three days after the surgery I had a heart attack,” he said.
“If it wasn’t for the amazing doctors at Cairns Hospital I wouldn’t be here.
“If I had known heart checks were an option, I would’ve gotten my heart checked. I’ve had more than 10 family and friends pass on of heart disease since I had my episode.
“This is a big problem, and I can’t reiterate enough the importance of getting your heart checked. It’s free with your Medicare. If you’re non-Indigenous and over 45 or Indigenous and over 30 you can book your heart check for free.”
Health and ambulance services Minister Shannon Fentiman said that with over 4000 coronary disease deaths in Queensland last year, it was key for eligible patients to book a free heart health check with their GP.
“It’s so important to go and get your heart checked. It’s easy to do, anyone over the age of 45 or, if you’re a First Nations community member over 30, you can get a free heart health check, it takes 20 minutes and it can save your life,” she said.
Cairns Hospital interventional cardiologist and the man responsible for saving Mr Backo’s life, Dr Ram Saireddy, said he’d like to see increased cardiology services at Cairns Hospital.
“Sam is a sportsperson so you would think he’s the one who wouldn’t have heart disease – wrong. We have an amazing team here so we were able to bring him back on his feet,” Dr Saireddy said.
“But we do get other patients, five to 20, who are in a similar category as Sam, and we don’t have cardiac surgery here, so with the expansion of the hospital it’d be great to see more funding and services for cardiology.”
