A former youth and community worker, Sharon had returned to full-time education in her late thirties, earning a law degree and a master’s, while her partner James (now husband), inspired by her determination, pursued his dream of becoming a doctor. Life was very busy.
“I was in the middle of my training as a legal cost accountant when I had my heart attack,” she recalls. “It was my 46th birthday. My daughter Robyn and I had been shopping, had lunch and came home. I was trying on a new pair of shoes when I felt this sudden rush up my chest and a pain in my oesophagus. I thought it was indigestion.”
Robyn noticed something was wrong. Sharon’s colour had changed, and the pain was not passing. Despite her protests, Robyn rang James, who had just started his medical internship.
Women can present differently with heart attacks, and it does sound like you’re having a heart attack
She began experiencing pins and needles in her hand and pain across her jaw. Still, she resisted calling an ambulance saying, “No, I’m fine, it’s just indigestion.” James came home and “when he arrived at the house, he advised that I take a high dose of aspirin, which he brought with him”.
James explained that women’s symptoms can present differently “because I wasn’t taking it seriously enough. I was still walking around with what felt like just bad indigestion. When he told me how it can present in women, I was more inclined to go to the hospital to be checked.” Common symptoms of a heart attack in women include chest pain that can spread to the neck, jaw, shoulder and left arm, difficulty breathing, feeling dizzy, nausea and sweating.
They went directly to A&E in a taxi. “I was lucky,” she said. “He spoke to the nurse and explained I was showing symptoms of a heart attack. I was seen almost immediately.” Sharons ECG test results were abnormal, but she was still in denial. “I kept thinking I was wasting everyone’s time.” But after six hours and additional tests, a doctor confirmed she had suffered a heart attack.
I was shocked. I couldn’t take it in
The next day, Sharon underwent an angiogram. It was then that she first heard the term SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection). SCAD is an uncommon emergency condition in which a ‘tear’ happens within the layers of the wall of the artery. This leads to blood becoming trapped within the artery, forming a clot and causing a partial or complete blockage. This can lead to a possible heart attack, an abnormal heart rhythm or even sudden death, if not treated promptly.
The news was very upsetting. A registrar sat with her, explained the condition, and showed her the angiogram. “He was so kind. He drew a picture of my heart and talked me through it. That helped me relax a little.”
Sharon spent the next five days in hospital. Before leaving “a nurse gave me some written notes on cardiac rehab and exercises to avoid. There was no leaflet, no detailed information. That was it.” She was prescribed medication and discharged.
Sharon said her return home was disorienting. She was very nervous, still experiencing chest pain and felt that she still knew very little about her condition. “I was still in shock. I rang work saying I’d be back next week, but my GP said I needed at least a month off.” Sharon was used to being busy and active and now struggled with the sudden restrictions. “I couldn’t hoover, couldn’t do anything. I found that really hard.”
She also faced emotional challenges and felt like nobody really understood what she had been through. It was a very lonely time.
I was anxious, not sleeping, and didn’t want to burden anyone. I felt very alone. I was in shock, and physically I really wasn’t able to do the same things I always did
The hospital had recommended a SCAD Facebook group which Sharon joined soon after leaving the hospital. “They reached out and invited me to an event in Dublin. I was very vulnerable and crying a lot but they were so kind and understood.” The group became a lifeline. “I didn’t interact much, but I read everything. It helped me find information and feel less alone.”
Sharon was conscious of not creating additional worry for Robyn or James and found the online resources by the Irish Heart Foundation to also be very helpful. “Being able to go to the website quietly in my own time, get the answers to the questions I had, and then follow the links to further information. It was invaluable to me at the time.”
After just a month Sharon returned to work full-time as a legal cost accountant in a busy Cork practice. On reflection she feels that she should have given herself more time as she still had chest pain at that stage but felt under pressure to return. Recovery was slow but as the months passed Sharon found that she stopped worrying every time she got a chest pain.
It took about a year before I felt like myself again. It’s taken my brain time to catch up with what happened
She sought counselling. “I think every heart patient probably struggles with mental health. I needed help processing everything. Once I understood what was happening, I could start healing both mentally and physically.” Little changes have made a big difference. “I started going for walks with my partner, talking more with my daughter. That helped us all. Getting out every evening into the fresh air and into nature was really helpful. I was getting exercise, and bit by bit, slowly, I started to heal.”
Sharon kept in touch with the Irish Heart Foundation and became one of their first Patient Champions, a programme developed by the Foundation to help train and support heart and stroke patients across Ireland on the most effective ways to make real and positive change happen. “I just thought it was absolutely fantastic, not just to raise awareness about your own condition, but to be able support other people as well.”
In addition to talking with family and friends about heart health whenever she gets the opportunity, Sharon often makes presentations to groups in her community. She recently spoke to medical students in University College Cork, sharing her journey to help them become more empathetic clinicians.
Most hadn’t heard of SCAD. I wanted them to see things from a patient’s perspective and how a few kind words can make a huge difference
Sharon volunteers for the Irish Heart Foundation’s ‘Let’s Talk’ service which she has found very fulfilling. “I’ve done a lot of peer support in the past, and I thought that I’d be good at supporting people who’ve just had a heart attack and might be feeling vulnerable or overwhelmed”.
Six years after her heart attack, a changing work situation has led Sharon to reassess her life. “My job was stressful. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I think that contributed to the heart attack. When my boss had to close the business due to ill health, I saw it as a sign. I wanted to return to community work.”
She now works with the Irish Heart Foundation as the ‘Her Heart Matters’ Campaign Co-ordinator. “It was a dream come true. I always said I wanted to work for the Irish Heart Foundation. They helped me so much. I wanted to give back.”
Today, Sharon’s message is one of self-compassion. “There’s a scripture at 1 Corinthians 13:4; ‘Love is patient and kind.’ People think that’s about loving others. But I’d say, ‘love yourself like that’. Be patient and kind to yourself. That’s what helped me heal.”
In her new role she continues to advocate for heart health, specifically among women.
If this helps even one person, that’s all that matters. I know how lonely it can feel. But there is support. And there is hope
2025-06-20
