Young NI woman had no warning signs of condition that led to heart attack

This time two years ago Leah Kitchen was waiting to have major open-heart surgery at the age of just 37.

“The mitral valve is a small flap in the heart that stops blood flowing the wrong way. The tear in mine meant there was a leak and it was causing a backflow of my blood and it wasn’t flowing around my body properly.“ “I never felt any signs of that however, so the news came as a surprise. I thought I was fine and felt good. I was hiking mountains without any problems.

“That changes as you get older however and keyhole surgery is usually only performed on children. I was scheduled into the surgery list and was waiting for a date. That was hard, knowing it was coming but not knowing when. Reflecting on her surgery, Leah said: “With mitral valve surgery the valve is either replaced or repaired but the surgeon won’t know which the best option is until they open you up.

“A few days later I was getting ready to go home. I was sitting in the discharge lounge and I started to feel very unwell. I was taken back up to the ward and the medical team discovered I had atrial fibrillation which causes an irregular heart rate. “The doctors had to try all sorts of combinations of medications to try and regulate it again and it was days before they got it under control.”

“The surgery and recovery process were a journey and it was really tough at times, but I came out the other side. I now have a scar on my chest that I am not ashamed to show off and lots of people comment on that. This will be Leah’s first time participating in the five-kilometre run or walk, which is supported by MACE and Musgrave MarketPlace, and raises much needed funds for NICHS’s care and prevention services and research projects, as well as awareness of heart conditions.

“I saw a video showcasing last year’s Red Dress Fun Run and I thought it looked like great fun and the fact it’s for an absolutely brilliant cause is a bonus.”

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