A POET who survived heart failure is holding a comedy and poetry gig with some famous friends to raise money for heart charities.

Richard Tyrone Jones Has a Big Heart is being held at the Drayton Court theatre, West Ealing, on July 1 for the British Heart Foundation and Cardiomyopathy Association.

Directed by Anthony Shrubsall, the gig boasts Paul Hamilton, editor of Rising magazine Tim Wells, co-host of Bang Said the Gun Rob Auton, and Zena Edwards poet - an actress and musician, who has performed at the Royal Festival Hall, London Jazz Festival and Glastonbury.

Richard Tyrone Jones, 31, (from Hackney) who hopes to raise £1,500, was prompted to hold the gig after suffering, unknowingly, from heart failure. He said: "I was very tired and lethargic and just thought I was a bit depressed. So I joined a gym and made myself worse. I then started having fainting fits and terrible migraines and the doctors thought I had a brain tumour and gave me a MRI."

Finally an ECG (electrocardiogram) revealed a clot in the middle of his heart which could cause a heart attack or stroke at any time. Richard said: "My heart had stretched by two centimetres. I couldn't walk for two months and thought I would need a mobility scooter. I used to walk across Hampstead Heath and thought I would never be able to walk across London's green spaces again. I am much better now but still get tied and can't run fast. I have to take nine tablets a day for the rest of my life. I don't take anything for granted now and don't worry about the little things in life."

He also has an internal cardiac defibrillator which regulates his heart and can "bring me back to life" if he has an attack. Richard said: "I wanted to do this fund-raising gig as a big thank you for not being dead and to stop other people going through what I did." He will be presenting extracts from his debut show RTJ has a Big Heart, asking the question :'How do you fight back when your own heart tries to kill you?'

Tickets £10 pre-booked on www.wegottickets.com/event/120680 or £13 on the door. The show starts at 7.30pm.