Irish Heart Real Life Stories

Real Life Stories

Stories from those affected by heart & stroke

If you are living with heart disease or have had a stroke or heart event, you are not alone. On this page you'll find stories from those affected by cardiovascular disease and thier families.

Before Damage is Done: Mondica

“He thought the machine was faulty because the BP readings were all high, and getting higher”

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Before Damage is Done: Eddie

“A cup of tea saved my life”

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Stroke & F.A.S.T Stories

Tracey: Struggling with a stroke which is never something I thought I could have in my life, and everything was just so unfamiliar

Stroke, F.A.S.T.

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Chris: I thought my brain was shutting down and I was going to die

Stroke, F.A.S.T.

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Damien: It happened to me at 39 ….I always thought it was only people in their 70s and 80s who got a stroke

Stroke, F.A.S.T.

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My neighbour's F.A.S.T. actions saved my life.

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Katie: I was afraid to leave the house in case I had another stroke

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Majella: Despite knowing young people can have strokes, I remember saying to myself in the car, “You can’t be having a stroke."

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My stroke hit like a thunderbolt from the blue

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Andrew: I had a stroke at the age of 31, two days after proposing to my girlfriend.

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John: My stroke hit me out of the blue.

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Paul was told he would never run again.

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Niall (16) & Eoghan (12) saved their Dad from a stroke

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Maura: I Was Lucky Not to Have a Stroke

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Gary's wife Clare acted F.A.S.T to save him from a stroke

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Karen: My Daughter Had Two Strokes when she was just 3 years old

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Daire acted F.A.S.T to save her grandmother from a stroke

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Paddy: I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for my wife's response

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Nuala: My husband saw my face had fallen on one side due to a stroke

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Eugene: I would encourage people to join a stroke support group in their area

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Enda: I had a headache, I wasn’t expecting it to be a stroke …it just came out of the blue

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Mark: You can go on or you can go under

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John: My wife's F.A.S.T. actions saved my life

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Pauline: The sooner you get help the more there is to save

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Heart Disease & CPR Stories

Shirley: This is what women feel like when they are having a heart attack #HerHeartMatters

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Rachael: I woke up in hospital and my two kids were sitting to the left of me looking terrified #HerHeartMatters

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Melanie: I became very paranoid about my health because I had no symptoms before my heart attack. #HerHeartMatters

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Sharon: Your gut tells you when things are not right…you have to listen to that. #HerHeartMatters

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Claire: She cared for everyone else, to the extent where she just neglected herself. #HerHeartMatters

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Glenda: Siobhán had such a big heart and her heart just died, really and truly. #HerHeartMatters

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Alan: I went to bed and woke up in ICU a month later with a diagnosis of heart failure.

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Karen: Living well with heart failure requires continuous self-management

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Liam: I thought that I had some kind of chest infection and the idea of heart failure didn’t enter into it.

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Sheilagh: There is life after a diagnosis of heart failure

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Ciaran: Three heart attacks at the age of 30 – I felt like an old man in a young man’s body

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Michelle: My life was saved by accurate CPR, unfortunately not everyone is as lucky as I am

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Colm: Other than doing CPR there literally was nothing else I could have done.

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Derek: There’s no doubt about it, CPR saved my life

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Diarmuid: All I had available to help was my hands and that was all I actually needed

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Rosaleen: I’m able to lead a very active life with my children because of CPR

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Niall: I remember thinking I wanted to cry but it wouldn’t come out

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Lizzy: Women need to trust that they know their own bodies

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Leo's Father never returned after a fishing trip

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Oscar lost his father to a heart attack.

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Keith’s dad had a heart attack aged 40.

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Anne Marie lost her father to a heart attack.

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Twins Abbey and Taylor have plenty of things in common with their friend, Ellie.

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Donal: With a Heart Attack at Age 34, I knew I had to make Changes

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Lucinda: I learned CPR for my children

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Bernadette: I Ignored the Signs of Heart Disease

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Ciaran: Living With a Heart Condition at age 11 is no fun

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Cathal: CPR and the presence of a defibrillator saved my life

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