THREE years ago, Ryan “DJ Smoke” Williams received news that would change his life forever — his arteries were blocked.

“I was going up some stairs and in the middle of it I felt a shortness of breath and an adrenaline rush. My heart started to race and I was like: ‘What is going on?’ I had never experienced anything like that before,” said DJ Smoke.

“I decided to check it out, so I went to the Heart Institute of the Caribbean. They didn’t do a stress test immediately, but from what I was explaining to the doctor he said that it sounded like a heart problem,” he added.

When, in 2019, the disc jockey finally did a stress test and angiogram, his worse fears were realised. He had blocked arteries.

“I’ve been deejaying since 1996 and working late nights, resulting in unhealthy eating habits, together with excessive drinking and smoking, so my health deteriorated,” said the disc jock, who started out with Renaissance Disco before going solo a decade ago.

On receiving his diagnosis in 2019, the disc jockey then became aware that his heart disease is hereditary.

“It runs in my family. My mom and dad passed away from heart failure. In 2021 I lost two siblings to the condition, so I saw that it was serious,” DJ Smoke disclosed. As a result, his perspective on life and the entertainment scene has changed drastically.

On June 14, Williams needs to do a quadruple bypass surgery, which will cost $5.4 million. To date, he has raised US$15,703 ($2.4 million) through donations to his GoFundMe account, as well as contributions from relatives and friends.

“My life really depends on this surgery, so I am appealing for as much help as possible to raise the funds. Even US$20 can help, as I now have about 40 per cent of the target amount,” said DJ Smoke.

Anyone wishing to donate to DJ Smoke’s surgery can do so on his GoFundMe account or through e-mail: djsmoke05@gmail.com