60 in September

Pauline's story ❤️

Pauline was devastated when at just 38 she was told she had the heart of a 70-year-old. 

A mother of three young children, was diagnosed with heart failure.

She suffered three heart attacks, was resuscitated after a cardiac arrest and had open-heart surgery.

“Being told ‘some of your heart is dead’ was, without doubt, the most devastating sentence I had ever heard in my life. The fact that I had a two-week-old baby girl and two little boys at home that needed that same heart to keep beating to have their mother in their lives, made the impact of those words all the worse. How could I be a mother with a partially dead heart? Or more terrifyingly, how long would I get to be their mother when the vital organ responsible for my life was partially dead?" 

For me, the psychological impact of my heart failure diagnosis was undoubtedly harder than all the physical symptoms that came with it. I could treat physical issues with physical remedies… tiredness meant the need to rest, breathlessness meant the need to slow down, a dry windpipe meant the need to go quiet. But the psychological fallout, the anxiety, shock, grief, fear, depression and pessimism for my future, that all came with this diagnosis, were things that I did not know how to cope with."

"The Irish Heart Foundation improved the quality of my life in so many ways.

I went from feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and fear as a lone heart failure patient in the community, to a place of support, connection, opportunities and empowerment.”

Your fundraising will help us to continue to support people like Pauline and families all over Ireland.

Thank you!

60 in September! You got this!

To earn your medal you need to do these 3 steps after every activity.

1. Log your daily KMs or Miles on your fundraising page 
2. Share your fundraising page
3. Tag the Irish Heart Foundation on social media

To set up your fundraising page, register now!