Sue and Karen tell their story
Sue Tuffy was just 50 when a heart attack
struck in 2004.
Fit, active and with a good diet, her attack came completely out
of the blue. Daughter Karen just wanted to know what she could do
to help.
Sue's heart attack.
Home alone when chest pains struck, Sue couldn't breathe or
speak. She used her mobile to text her son-in-law and ask him to
call 999.
While in hospital she had another heart attack, and underwent an
angiogram - a test to find out where her arteries had narrowed. One
of our Heart Nurses paid Sue a
visit.
The nurse gave her lots of help and advice, and answered her
many questions. Scared to do anything, even to walk, the nurse's
advice was reassuring.
Sue says: "She was lovely, like another best friend in the end.
I could really rely on her."
Sue subscribed to our Heart Matters
Magazine, full of stories from others who'd been through the
same thing. She saw she wasn't alone, that people can recover from
a heart attack and "get their life back".
A daughter's fears
Sue's whole family were devastated by her
attack. Daughter Karen says she wanted to wrap her mum up in cotton
wool.
She adds: "I came across the British Heart Foundation and the
website - the resources were fantastic".
the resources were fantastic
Karen even slipped our leaflets into
her family's pockets, so they'd understand what was going on too.
Now the whole family is more aware of their heart health.
Sue's also giving something back to help other people affected
by heart disease. She's been taking old clothes to our BHF Shops and buying books from them too.