Our Business Boards are based across the UK, made up of groups of business leaders who volunteer to fundraise for our lifesaving research, and raise awareness in their community.
73-year-old Renée Mascari from Ruddington was diagnosed in 2018 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic disease where the heart’s wall muscle becomes thickened and stiff, making it harder for the heart to pump blood out and around the body.
Consequently, Renée lives with heart failure, which results in her often feeling breathless and tired and contributes to her lungs filling with fluid making her susceptible to respiratory illnesses.
Renée’s mother, Marie, died aged 49 of the same disease, Renée was aged just 21 and her mother’s loss and years of ill health had a profound effect on her.
Renée said: “During that period the doctors didn’t know what was wrong with my mum. She developed symptoms in her late 30s and for years doctors told her she was simply going through the menopause and to go and have a lie-down. She eventually had what they called a ‘silent heart attack’ and died 10 days later.
“You always take your mum for granted, so it was the most awful shock when she died. Her un-wellness had a dreadful effect on us all. Looking back, it was the cause of quite a lot of depression. No one understood what she was going through. It didn’t have a name, and it all took its toll on her wellbeing.
“I was the middle daughter. My older sister had left home and married, so there was me and my younger sister, who was 15 when mum died. I did most of the cooking and care for the family as best I could.
“On the night mum had her attack she had been lying on the sofa and her breathing had become rapid and gaspy and I remember her top lip had turned blue. She was eventually taken to hospital, and I will never forget the last time I saw her. She was sitting up in bed and had done her hair and makeup. She looked so beautiful, like a model. I think she knew she was going to die, and she wanted us to have that memory of her.
“Mum was an artist too and would paint. My dad, John created amazing pencil drawings, so I was probably destined to be an artist and it’s so important to me to honour my mum and raise funds for the BHF to give thanks for the research that has helped me live as well as I can.
This Heart Month (February 2025), Renée staged a silent auction of her own artwork, raising £600 for BHF to fund vital research.
Renée was 67 when she was diagnosed. She has two sons who have been tested for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but they are thankfully unaffected.
Renée said: “I was told that I had probably had it since I was 17 and that I had been lucky not to have had heart problems for all those years because I had such an active childhood in South Africa, doing gymnastics on horseback, fencing, hockey and white-water rafting. I had somehow ‘dodged a bullet’.
“I collapsed when I was 39 and the doctors diagnosed me with what they called Syndrome X. None of them could explain it even though I had numerous electrocardiograms.
“I see my cardiologist every year now and I know that my heart failure will not improve, and I have to deal with my lungs filling with fluid. But I won’t slow down. I love my art and my work and have no wish to stop. I’d rather drop dead doing something I love,” said Renée.
In 2020, she had 2 further hospital admissions or episodes where it was found that her heart muscle was struggling to pump blood around her body.
Renée said: “This is what must have happened when I was 39 but it was not recognised at the time. The doctors now believe my mother had the same condition.
“I am delighted to be asked to join the newly formed East Midlands Women’s business board. I would hope that I could contribute to the board given my experience in business as CEO of the Kitchen Bedroom Bathroom National Training Group, Creative Director in our family Design Studio and Industry Design Award Judge. Because of this experience I would hope I am able to offer the BHF as much help as I can in raising much needed funding in support of Research and development into heart disease.”