THE BROTHER of Jeremy Adams - the man from Cwmbran who made national headlines for buying a life-sized dinosaur for his front garden - has credited him with saving his life.

Mr Adams, who was described by his family as a “caring family man,” died on August 29 following a heart attack, aged 58.

Mr Adams' father, Herbert John Adams, and grandfather, Herbert Cyril Adams, also suffered heart attacks at 58 - so, following his death, brother Ray, 55, visited St Joseph’s Hospital in Newport for a full heart check-up.

“Even though I showed no symptoms whatsoever, what happened to Jerry was the catalyst for getting myself checked out,” he said. “I couldn’t wait any longer.

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Jerry Adams with Alun the dinosaur. Picture: Ben Black

“I felt completely fit and completely healthy and exercise every day. I was even abseiling off the Transporter Bridge just six weeks ago."

And it was a good thing he did, as the tests found two severe narrowings in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery of Mr Adams’ heart, which could have severely obstructed his blood flow, leading to a type of heart attack which has a very high risk of death - even being named the ‘widow maker’.

Further tests, involving inserting a small wire into the radial artery in the wrist, and feeding it through into the heart, using an x-ray to see restrictions in blood vessels, at the Royal Gwent Hospital confirmed the severity of narrowings.

Surgeons worked quickly to insert a stent, a small mesh tube which expands to help keep the blood flowing, in Mr Adams' artery - which restored his blood flow to 100 per cent.

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Jerry and Ray Adams' parents Barbara and Herbert. Picture: Ray Adams.

“You could say Jerry’s last gift to me was to save my life, because if I wasn’t prompted to visit St Joseph’s and undergo the fantastic work they do, I probably wouldn’t be here in three years time,” he said.

Jerry Adams hit national headlines earlier this year when he bought a 15-foot dinosaur for his front garden in Five Locks Lane, Cwmbran.

He died in August, and hundreds from the community turned out to pay their respects at his funeral the following month.

Now Ray Adams has called on anyone concerned they may be at risk of a similar condition to speak to their doctor.

“The British Heart Foundation reported that heart and circulatory diseases cause more than a quarter (28 per cent) of all deaths each year," he said.

South Wales Argus:

The x-ray of Ray Adams' heart showing both narrowings in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Picture: Ray Adams

“They also say there are around 7.4 million people living with these diseases in the UK.

“I therefore consider myself very fortunate to have been diagnosed and treated, so I hope sharing my experience can help raise awareness and encourage others to get checked out.”

The Adams family were hit with another shock last month when their house caught fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and a fundraiser has been launched to help the family pay for the cost of repairs.