Man ready for 24-hour charity dart challenge

Lancing resident Shaun Evans, 23, was found to have a hole in his heart when he was just five-years-old.

“When I was younger I had open heart surgery. The hole in my heart wasn’t picked up on by the doctor when I was born,” he said.

During a visit to the doctor five years later, Shaun’s heart was found to have a murmur and within weeks he was undergoing the life-saving surgery.

“At the time, my dad did the 24 hour darts in Bolton, but he’s better at it than me and has attempted to break two world records in the past,”

Shaun will be joined by his friend, Patrick Murphy, 22, of Worthing, who also had open heart surgery as a child. Patrick has undergone three operations to replace the aortic valve with an artificial one.

Both will be taking on the ambitious challenge at the Royal Oak in Brighton Road, Worthing. The aim is to raise £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation, and £250 is already in the pot.

“We’re going to play as many games as possible.

“We’ve got lots of people to throw with us for a small donation a leg [game],” said Shaun.

“We’ve also got a raffle going on. I’ve been to all the shops in Worthing and many are going to donate to the cause, including Wilko, Tesco and B&Q.”

Now it has been 20 years since the successful operation, Shaun said he wants to return the favour to his dad and raise money himself for other children going through the same treatment.

“I wanted to do it on my own. My dad thinks it’s amazing and he’s quite proud, really.

“I still have the scar running from the bottom of my neck to the top of my stomach,” he added.

If you would like to make a donation to Shaun’s cause, go to www.justgiving.com/shaun-evans2

The 24 hour darts event will be taking place at the Royal Oak on March 1. All supporters are welcome to come along and join in for a small donation.