Woman Planning 115km Walk After Two Heart Attacks

A female is readying to locomotion 115km to raise consciousness of a uncommon information which caused her to person 2 bosom attacks.

Cathy Read from Chippenham successful Wiltshire has survived 2 spontaneous coronary artery dissections (SCAD). The uncommon information predominantly affects women nether 50 and is often under-diagnosed.

In May, Read will beryllium stepping nan Camino Francés way successful Spain to raise costs for nan kindness that supported her recovery.

"Heart illness is often seen arsenic a antheral information but, actually, it's 1 of nan biggest killers of women successful nan UK," she said. "I don't deliberation women realise nan consequence there."

SCAD is an emergency information that occurs erstwhile a tear aliases a bruise forms successful a wall of a bosom artery. This tin slow aliases artifact humor flow, which causes a bosom onslaught aliases bosom hit problems.

Read's first bosom onslaught took spot successful 2021, aft she walked nan South West Coast Path betwixt Looe and Polperro.

She said: "I walked location aft it [my first bosom attack,] I didn't telephone an ambulance. I went kayaking nan adjacent day; I didn't understand what female bosom attacks look like.

"It [SCAD] is simply a uncommon bosom information and chiefly happens to women who are mostly patient and active, and don't person immoderate of nan normal consequence factors for bosom conditions," she explained.

"When thing for illustration that happens retired of nowhere, it really shakes your assurance and makes you mobility everything astir your body."

In 2023, she had different bosom onslaught while connected vacation successful Portugal.

Throughout her recovery, she has been supported by Beat SCAD, a kindness which raises consciousness of nan little-known information and besides costs important research.

She hopes to raise £1,500 for nan kindness pinch her fundraiser successful Spain, which will return six days.

"I really wanted a beingness situation to springiness maine assurance backmost and show I was tin of doing this large walk," she explained.

"I'm doing tons of training astir Wiltshire which has been great, I'm really looking guardant to it."