The heart surgeon who gave this Sheffield boxer a fighting chance
Retired Sheffield boxer Tommy Frank owes his life to the surgeon who repaired his heart when he was a child.
Tommy, now 32, was born with an atrial septal defect – a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart – which, if left untreated, can cause heart failure.
When he was five years old, he underwent open-heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary, where consultant congenital cardiac surgeon Professor Carin van Doorn successfully closed the hole, giving him the chance of a normal life.
Recently, Tommy, now a fitness coach, was among the guests invited to celebrate Professor van Doorn’s retirement after more than 30 years in congenital cardiac surgery.
“It was an honour to be there,” he said.
"It was brilliant to see her again and celebrate her career at what was a fantastic afternoon organised by the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund.”
Tommy attended the event with his wife, Charley, who is expecting their second child early next year, and their 18-month-old daughter Connie.
“It was lovely introducing them to Carin and again expressing my gratitude for her and all the staff who corrected my heart defect,” he said.
“Without that operation, I wouldn’t have been able to make a full recovery and follow my dream of becoming a professional boxing champion.”
Tommy first met Prof van Doorn in 2019 when he visited the heart ward at Leeds, bringing along some of his championship belts to show the children and staff.
“That was very special,” he recalled.
“I wanted to show that you can go on to do amazing things after heart surgery. I’m living proof of that.”
Prof van Doorn, who trained in the Netherlands before joining the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit in 2003, went on to perform more than 5,000 operations on children and adults born with heart defects.
She was awarded the OBE this year for services to congenital cardiac surgery.
She says it is always rewarding to hear how former patients have flourished, adding that stories like Tommy’s reflect the dedication of the entire Leeds team.
Now retired from the ring, Tommy hopes to give something back.
“Alongside coaching, I want to be involved with the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund as much as I can,” he said.
“I owe them so much, and I’m proud to represent what their work makes possible.”
In the last few days the Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) asked Tommy to come on board as an official ambassador.
"I’m really happy about that; duties will include visits to the heart ward to support the patients and their families as me and my family went through the exact same thing.
"And just help the CHSF in any way I can at different fundraising events."
Carin van Doorn's career highlights
• Consultant congenital cardiac surgeon, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, she joined Leeds Congenital Heart Unit in 2003 after training in the Netherlands
• Led the unit for more than a decade, performing more than 5,000 heart operations.
• Pioneered complex repairs for congenital heart defects in children and adults.
• Awarded the OBE in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours for services to medicine.