Joanne Ward

If my heart could be repaired, it would change my life completely

Joanne suffered a heart attack just four days after giving birth to her second son Tyler. She now lives with heart failure.

"I've been left with a severely damaged heart. I suffer from angina, breathlessness and palpitations. It was hard not being able to pick up Tyler every time he cried.
 
"I've missed out on doing so much with my sons but every day I spend with them is precious.

“I wasn’t aware the heart couldn’t repair itself - I thought it was like any other muscle and it would get better.
 
“If I could go into hospital tomorrow and my heart could be repaired it would change my life completely. I could go swimming with my boys; I could go back to normal. I wouldn’t have this black cloud hanging over me.
 
"The Mending Broken Hearts research means that people like me could have a treatment that could give us our lives back. That hope means a lot to me – and to my family".