Former heart surgery patient launches Camp Simcha project with help from Watford Football Club - The Jewish Chronicle

A young man, who had open heart surgery as a teenager, is marking ten years since his operation by encouraging people of his generation to support Camp Simcha – the charity which helped him get through it.

Joel Ucko, 25, from Edgware, was born with an irregular heartbeat, and in August 2014, an MRI scan revealed significant worsening in his condition, meaning open heart surgery was his only option.

“The deterioration found a severe narrowing of the aortic valve, causing serious obstruction to the flow of blood from the left ventricle into the aorta. I had always been very phobic about hospitals, so having to go in for surgery was really daunting,” Ucko told the JC.

Studying at Yavneh College at the time, Ucko said the months leading up to the operation in December 2014 were extremely difficult. “My anxiety affected my school work as I found it very difficult to concentrate, although I received outstanding support from two teachers, Danielle Barnett and Emily Frankel, who were amazing in prepping me for surgery and then dealing with the trauma and management of the long recovery after.”

Joel Ucko in ICU following open heart surgery[Missing Credit]

Also supporting Ucko throughout was Camp Simcha. “They were amazing throughout. They ensured that my hospital bedroom was decorated with Watford colours, as I am a massive Watford fan and that the room felt as homely as possible.

"They really took the whole family in hand and arranged taxis to the hospital, meals for everyone and buddies and trips for my three siblings.”

With the help of another former Yavneh College student Louis Berg, Ucko, who is the adult learning programme manager at the London School of Jewish Studies, said they decided to launch the One Heart One Goal project for Camp Simcha, which supports children with serious illnesses and their families, since “as an alumnus, I feel a strong responsibility to mark this milestone by giving back”.

He said: “The goal is to create the next cohort of givers for Camp Simcha — whether that’s major donors or people who give in smaller, but still meaningful, ways. This project is about empowering young professionals to take responsibility, recognise why they should be part of Camp Simcha, and understand the significance of its work.”

Joel Ucko and Jonathan Bond playing FIFA following Ucko's surgery (Photo: courtesy)[Missing Credit]

Ucko, whose family are members of Edgware Adath Yisroel, hopes that those who get involved will take up hands-on volunteering opportunities for Camp Simcha, whether that means visiting someone in hospital or arranging “unforgettable experiences” for patients, siblings and families. “Our vision is to build a diverse volunteer team — spanning the whole community — to provide real, personal support, while also nurturing our next big cohort of givers.”

His memories of his time in hospital are now “a bit of a blur”, but Ucko can’t forget the impact his illness had on his parents and his siblings. “My heart condition really became a family illness. My parents were battling both my anxiety, nerves and volatility that came from the illness, whilst also trying to keep my siblings reassured as much as possible whilst they were sensing nerves, whilst also managing their own anxiety and emotions.”

At the same time, they were all dealing with the aftermath of a house fire, and while miraculously, no one was at home at the time, the events left them all feeling “overwhelmed”, said Ucko. “Camp Simcha was amazing with helping us cope as they provided counselling.”

The launch event is taking place in partnership with Watford Football Club, a nod to the support that the club gave to Ucko during his surgery and recovery. “Not many people can say that their football club helped get them through the hardest part of their life.”

This included being played a good luck video message from the squad as he was going down to theatre, and three days after coming home from the hospital, Ucko, while playing FIFA on the Xbox, had a surprise visit from Jonathan Bond, the team’s goalkeeper at the time.

“It was such an incredible surprise. It was surreal playing with him in person but also playing as him on the game. It almost felt like having open heart surgery to play FIFA against Jonathan Bond was worth it.

"His visit gave my siblings such a lift as well, and it was as if he brought my family back together.”

The timing of Ucko coming home from hospital – on the first night of Chanukah – wasn’t lost on him. “It felt significant as a family because we lit first night candles for the festival of miracles with the miracle of me having come through the surgery and making good progress.”

Joel Ucko (right) and Jonathan Bond, celebrating 10 years since Ucko's surgery[Missing Credit]

Ten years on, Ucko, who himself manages Bochur Juniors Football Club, describes Bond – or “Bondy” - as a mentor, and even though the latter is now based in the US, playing for Houston Dynamo, the pair keep in touch, going out for meals when Bond is in the UK. “He has taught me a lot about resilience, patience and the power of learning from one’s experiences,” says Ucko.

Nowadays, Ucko must have annual check-ups for the rest of his life but is fortunately in good health. While he occasionally has flashbacks of what he went through, he says that “each day, I wake up and realise what a miracle I am and am full of gratitude.

“I can never pay back what Camp Simcha did for me, but the least I can do is to encourage others to get involved.”

Camp Simcha’s Young Professionals Launch Night is on Thursday September 18. To sign up or for sponsorship opportunities, email: joelucko@hotmail.com

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Topics:

Camp Simcha

Joel Ucko

Watford football club

Camp Simcha Young Professionals