Twenty-five years ago, Brenda Winscott, a Retail volunteer from Teddington, was diagnosed with a serious heart condition, where she was told she only had five years left to live.
In attempt to change her prognosis and enhance her quality of life, Brenda took part in a trial of a new drug combination. Fast forward to 2023, Brenda was reading about our research in one of our shops and spotted a mention of the very same drug she had trialled more than two decades ago. She was amazed to find out that the development of the lifesaving drug trial was thanks to our research!
After reading this, Brenda was determined to give back to the BHF, and so began volunteering.
Since volunteering, Brenda has enjoyed the freedom and flexibility that volunteering at the BHF offers and is very grateful for the compassion shown from her team when her heart condition impacts her abilities. Brenda says she always feels encouraged to work at her own pace and is thankful for the support she gets from the team at Teddington.
Brenda's love for volunteering goes beyond having a laugh with the shop team and chatting to our dedicated customers. She feels a great deal of satisfaction knowing that she's making a difference to other people like her with heart and circulatory diseases. By volunteering, Brenda feels happy that she can do something to thank the BHF for saving her life.