On June 2nd myself and my mam will be taking part in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon. We will be running it on behalf of The Mater Foundation. This charity is one that is very close to my family and one that is very personal to me. In July 2022 I underwent lifesaving heart surgery to close quite a large hole that was found in the wall of my heart. Thanks to the Mater Foundation and the outstanding staff in The Mater Heart House, this condition was brought to light, ultimately saving my life.

My story:

In March 2022, I went for my first ever check up on my heart in the Mater Heart House. This was a free screening as part of the public Mater service. I had absolutely no worries or concerns for my health before this, I have always been very active, training almost everyday. In my appointment I got an ECG and an echo done in my heart. I went with my brother Sam, who also got a check up and my dad. After we had both been scanned we sat down in a room with the cardiologist Catherine McGorrian. She read out Sam’s results first- all was fine and healthy. When she came to me, she calmly told me “we have found something in your heart”. Tears just started pouring, dad held my hand and Sam just looked at me in disbelief. I couldn’t even register what she had just told me, I am the healthiest person I know and just couldn’t believe I’d never suspected anything. She explained to me that there is a hole between the walls of my heart- known as an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD). This is a congenital heart defect that means there is an abnormal opening in the wall between the upper filling chambers of the heart. She explained to me that surgery was likely but that i would need some further tests and to meet with a specialist. I will never forget Catherines kindness and reassurance on this day.

In the weeks that followed I met with one of the best cardiologists in the country, Prof. Kenny. Prof. Kenny is highly experienced in these ASD closures. He did some further scans and confirmed that I would be booked in for surgery as soon as possible to close the hole. I felt reassured after meeting Prof. Kenny because I knew I was in good hands and that after all this was over I would be able to live a full and healthy life. Prof. Kenny also had my 3 other siblings seen promptly to make sure they were all clear aswell. These months were still the scariest, most isolating and confusing of my life. I had to question my own mortality at the age of 17.

In July 2022, 6 days after my 18th birthday I had heart surgery to close the hole. I will never forget this day. I was unusually calm but scared at the same time. I walked myself into the surgery room, greeted by the kindest team of professionals, I took off my brand new white runners and they put on the mask, the last thing I remember was crying. This is also the first thing I remember after waking up, crying. The first words that iI could speak were “ I didnt think i could do it”. Because I didnt , I faced my biggest fear. I was so proud of myself. I was so lucky that when i woke up my mam was by my side, for me it felt like minutes but for her, the 3 hours i was asleep for must’ve felt like forever. The whole time from March to when I woke up from the anaesthetic I was nearly more worried about my family. I couldn’t imagine the worry that my parents had been feeling for the few months leading up to this. But it was finally over, I felt like I could breathe again, live again, train again. The recovery was tough and full of ups and downs, but i was absolutely blessed that I was able to get the keyhole procedure. They still had to discuss with me the prospect of open heart surgery in the event that they couldn’t reach the hole through keyhole, it was truly terrifying. I later found out that the hole in my heart was almost 2cm big, nearly 2 times larger than the average. Every nurse was baffled at how I never suspected or showed signs of the strain my poor heart was under. With the knowledge I have now, I can recognise the symptoms that I was experiencing. If left untreated or unrecognised the complications could’ve resulted in stroke, right side heart failure or even early death.

6 months later I was back racing, smashing personal bests because my body was getting the oxygen it needed. I was finally seeing improvements in my training and overall feeling better and healthier. Almost 2 years on now, I look back and wish I could tell my 18 year old self that everything was going to be ok. I still got an amazing leaving cert, I’m still able to run, I’m strong and most importantly I’m healthy. Although i have physically recovered, I don’t think i will ever truly recover from everything that came along with it.

I will be forever grateful for Catherine and her team in the Mater heart house, Prof.Kenny and his team in the Blackrock clinic and my family and friends for getting me through the worst time of my life. I am privileged to be able to run this 10k with my mam, alive and in full health. I hope that, more than anything by doing this I can raise awareness and encourage everyone to get their hearts checked. It’s so important and often forgotten about.

Thank you,

Ria ❤️

Below are some useful resources:

https://www.materfoundation.ie/make-a-difference/fhsc/

https://congenitalheartcentre.ie/congenital-heart-conditions/atrial-septal-defect/