My sister Sharon was a 53 year old mum of three from Keynsham. She had Loeys-Dietz Syndrome, a rare genetic connective tissue disorder that primarily affects the heart and aorta.

On December 18th, 2022, Sharon was returning from a Caribbean holiday when she started experiencing chest pain. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance but was left waiting in a corridor for hours as her condition deteriorated. Despite hospital staff being informed of her medical condition, it was not taken seriously.

By the time she received a CT scan, it revealed a complex aortic dissection - an emergency condition that required urgent surgery. But due to delays in recognising her condition and a lack of available emergency transport, Sharon didn’t make it into surgery until 17 hours later. By then, it was too late.

An inquest into Sharon’s death ruled that her death was preventable and her care was neglectful. Had she received timely treatment, she would have had a high chance of survival. Delays, failures, lack of awareness, and poor decision-making meant we lost a loving wife, mother, sister, and friend far too soon. She left behind her husband, Neale, and their three daughters, Hannah, Izzy, and Alice.

We are raising funds to increase awareness of aortic dissection and improve medical education, so no other family has to endure this unnecessary heartbreak.

Aortic Dissection claims the lives of 2000 people in the UK each year, often due to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.

To honour Sharon’s memory, and to thank the Aortic Dissection patients Charity UK and Ireland for all their support over the last 2 years, myself, husband and family friend are embarking on a charity cycle ride from, Lands End to Bristol, a distance of 315 miles. As a non cyclist, this journey will be a huge test of physical and mental endurance.

If you’d like to read more about Sharon’s story, please visit:

https://aorticdissectionawareness.org/patients-and-families/patient-stories/sharon-goddard

Please share and donate anything you can to help fund vital research and help educate medical professionals through the Think Aorta Campaign - help us turn our grief into change.

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