By ALESHA CAPONE
A YOUNG Taylors Hill resident with a big heart will host a charity fund-raising event on Saturday 26 October.
Matthew Spiteri from Genesis Mobile Entertainment DJ Service will present the night in partnership with the Taylors Lakes Hotel.
The event will raise money for the Heart Foundation – a cause, quite literally, close to Mr Spiteri’s heart.
“There are four chambers in the heart. I’ve got two which function properly and the other two don’t,” Mr Spiteri said.
Three days after he was born, he had lifesaving heart surgery including a constricting band placed on his pulmonary artery.
Still a tiny baby, the next month he had open-heart surgery and at three years old, he underwent a Fontan repair – used to treat a variety of different congenital heart defects.
As a 16-year-old student at MacKillop Catholic Regional College in Werribee, Mr Spiteri’s heart started beating too fast, resulting in another hospitalisation.
After a routine process to return his heart to its proper rhythm, he had heart attack in the hospital bathroom and went in a coma.
“They didn’t know whether I was going to wake-up or if it was a waiting game,” Mr Spiteri said.
Luckily for his loving parents, he did wake up after a week in a coma.
Nowadays, Mr Spiteri has a tube in his upper body to help his blood circulate, is on blood-thinning medication and has blood test every few weeks to monitor his cardiac health.
In addition to DJ-ing, he tours retirement villages with his Elvis Presley tribute show.
As a lifelong fan of the legendary singer, he grew up mimicking Elvis and placed third in a Werribee Plaza Elvis impersonation contest.
Mr Spiteri said he hoped businesses in the West would donate auction and raffle items for the Heart Foundation fund-raising night.
Terry Gunn from the Taylors Lakes Hotel said the business was donating an accommodation package and dinner for two, to the event.
Cloud 9 Wedding Car Hire, Hog’s Breath Café and AMF Bowling at Watergardens, Show and Shine Bodyworks, Grill’d, Junglemania and Court Jester Fancy Dress have also donated items for auction.
The charity event will be on 26 October from 6.30pm at the Taylors Lakes Hotel. Cost: $60 adults and $25 children. Dinner, beer, wine and soft drinks included. Tickets: 0414 822 474 or see www.djgenesis.com.au for details.
