Discover a gift that keeps on living
Learn how your donation to BHF can help keep families together for many Christmases to come.
Macy and Monty’s story
Previously fit and healthy, Macy was 18 when she was diagnosed with an inherited heart muscle condition. Following this, her brother Monty was also diagnosed with the same condition.
Seemingly out of nowhere Macy, who previously lived life at 100 mph, became seriously ill in November 2022. At only 18 years old, she could no longer climb the stairs at home. Her mum's smartwatch revealed her heart rate was dangerously high and she was admitted to hospital for a month — discharged home just before Christmas.
Macy was eventually diagnosed with an inherited heart muscle condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Genetic testing revealed her brother Monty and their dad Clive also carry a gene variant linked to DCM.
Macy manages her symptoms with medication. She also had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) fitted in 2023 and may need a heart transplant in the future. Macy returned to college to qualify as a hairdresser.
Using AI to manage and treat inherited heart muscle diseases
Macy was living the busy life of an 18-year-old before she was diagnosed with DCM. Artificial intelligence (AI) could help scientists better understand how her condition will progress over time. This could allow doctors to design a treatment plan that is personalised for Macy.
Heart disease varies from person to person, due to differences in our genes and lifestyles. We don't yet fully know how all these differences might affect how someone's disease progresses. This stops us from being able to give personalised treatments.
British Heart Foundation's (BHF) first ever Professor of AI, Professor Declan O’Regan, aims to harness AI and large amounts of imaging data to better understand these differences.
Since BHF was established, the number of people who die each year from cardiovascular disease in the UK has fallen by nearly a half. But there's still work to be done. Today, there are over 7.6 million people living with cardiovascular disease in the UK.
People like Bea, Macy, Monty, and Neena. People who want to have more Christmases with their families. Your donation could help make that a reality.
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Bea’s story
Bea was diagnosed with an inherited heart muscle disease when she was 9. Learn about the BHF-funded trial she’s taking part in.
Neena’s story
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