Michael Brennan

I'll try keep this short.

Imagine having what felt like your heart muscles seize so tightly that you couldn't take a breath for the fear of something 'snapping'. You hold your breath for a minute or two sometimes longer waiting for it to subside. In that time, you heart is drumming in your ears and you focus on being so still that nothing else is on your mind, just you and your heartbeat. 

I went through the health system over the course of a few years, doing an ECG (Echo Cardiogram), physical stress tests and other check ups. I passed all with flying colours. In the end, the doctor told me it may be physiological, basically it was self induced anxiety related. I believed it at the time, seeing as it was professional advice.

It was very humbling, and changed my persona and attitude to life drastically, as you can imagine, there were times when I wasn't sure if the pain would go with me still being here. I have since learned that nutrition played a critical role in fixing my issue, and have been free from chest pains for about 5-6 years. I won't go into that here, but feel free to contact me if this is something you would like to know more on. 

The idea of this fundraising is not necessarily to raise large amounts of money, it is to remind us all that with small contributions to causes we resonate with can make all the difference in life saving education and equipment. Speaking of education, the IHF website has heart conditions explained and a number of great recipies and healthy practices to incorporate into your lifestyle. Adjusting my eating habits changed my life, it is that simple. Thank you for reading, I hope I shone some light on the topic. Please use the resources and support on the website if you have any concerns for yourselves or loved ones.

Take care of your health, that power is solely in your hands.