“Rejoice in the tiny things”: lessons from heart disease survivors

Michael Lemetti

"Talk about what you're going through"

Scottish-Italian Michael Lemetti has designed tartan for the Pope, Al Pacino – and the BHF. Michael has also lived with high blood pressure since his 20s, and needed a heart valve replacement four years ago. Now in his 60s, he says that talking about what he has gone through was key to his mental recovery.

Communication and talking is the most important thing

Michael Lemetti

Vipan Maini

"Where you are today isn't where you'll be in three months' time"

Every small step forward is progress and will soon accumulate to a big improvement

Vipan Maini

Vipan Maini, from Buckinghamshire, was a fit and healthy man in his 40s, until, out of the blue, he suffered two heart attacks in 15 months. Since then, he’s made lifestyle changes to manage his stress, and now coaches others to learn resilience. He says:

“Heart attacks and other heart conditions can be traumatic: you’ve already shown grit by surviving that. No matter how bad the current situation is, you can and will survive this situation too. Remember that where you are today, whether it’s your fitness levels or health, doesn’t mean that’s where you will be in three months’ time. Every small step forward is progress and will soon accumulate to a big improvement.”

Annette Dancer

"Rejoice in each tiny thing you can achieve"

Annette Dancer suffered a life-changing stroke at the age of 61. The former civil servant from West Yorkshire went on to embrace her “new self” after the stroke, even abseiling in the Lake District six months after she’d been in hospital.

Darren Goodman

"Try to focus on the good side of what's happening to you"

At 43, Darren Goodman, from Essex, loved running, cycling, playing sports, and lifting weights – but everything came to a halt when he was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a serious condition which affected his heart. After years of treatment, Darren’s only option was a heart transplant, which he received in 2018. Now 49, he has learned the value of staying positive.

Positivity is the best drug out there

Darren Goodman

“Try to focus on the good side of what’s happening to you. For example, I’ve always been scared of needles and medical procedures. Every time I’ve had to think: this is for the best, it’s for my health, and it’s for the people around me. Positivity is the best drug out there.”

Ripon Danis

"Don't be stubborn - make peace with your loved ones before it's too late"

Ripon Danis was walking out of a London Underground station when he suffered a cardiac arrest at the age of 37. Strangers gave him CPR and used a defibrillator, helping to save his life. After he’d recovered, he reconciled with his father.

Just to try and live the happiest day that you can in that day

Ripon Danis

“It just all of a sudden happened to me, and had I lost my life, I would not have been able to sort out my issues with my dad. I just say to everybody, just don’t be too stubborn, contact people, phone them, whatever you need to do. Just to try and live the happiest day that you can in that day.”

Mel Bucknell

"It's important to show yourself what you're capable of"

In 2020, when the pandemic meant that the BHF’s London to Brighton bike ride couldn’t go ahead, Mel Bucknell set up an exercise bike to complete the distance in her kitchen in Westham, East Sussex. She wanted to take on a personal challenge, having been diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy (a weakness of the heart muscle that’s associated with the late stages of pregnancy or after giving birth) when she was 30, after having her second child.

“I’m quite stoic, but my diagnosis knocked my confidence. I felt a bit weak, like I couldn’t do all these things that other people were doing. By signing up to do the London to Brighton I felt like I could be me again. I wanted to prove to myself that I could take on a challenge like this. I think it’s important to show yourself what you’re still capable of.”

Jo Michaelides

"Don't stand by when someone needs help"

Eleven years ago, Jo Michaelides saved Keith Aston’s life, giving him CPR when he had a cardiac arrest. They were strangers at the time but became close friends, working together to deliver CPR training to thousands of people across Surrey. Keith passed away nine years later, but Jo, now 43, still lives by his motto: “Don’t be a bystander.”

“It sums up how he lived his life and how I want to live the rest of mine, which is to not stand by when someone needs your help. Even if you think you can't be of assistance, even if you've got doubts running through your head, stop and ask if you can help. It might be that you can make a critical difference and that will change your life in a way that you won't imagine.”

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