Valentine's Day is a time when we celebrate heartfelt gestures, but it's also an opportune time to think about our heart health. Michaela Treanor from Carrickmore knows all too well the devastating impact heart conditions can have on a family. Her mum Esther tragically passed away in 2013 due to a heart attack aged just 55. In a strange twist of fate, in August 2022, Michaela herself learnt first-hand what it is like to experience a heart illness when she suffered a massive pulmonary embolism whilst expecting her first child. Michaela has been inspired by her experiences to share her story this Valentine’s Day to raise awareness of heart illness and support a local charity close to her heart, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS).
Michaela says, “My connection with the charity began in September 2013 after my mum passed away from a heart attack. There were no real warning signs or symptoms. We now know the importance of getting yourself checked regularly whether you have symptoms or not. We have thought in hindsight, what if mummy had got a check up to make sure her health was okay? Maybe things wouldn't have ended up this way. But sadly, we are just one of many unfortunate families across Northern Ireland who have gone through something like this.”
Losing their beloved mum inspired Michaela and her family to take action. She says, “The trauma that came with the suddenness of mummy’s death was something we didn't want other families to have to go through and so in November 2014 my family organised a Gala Ball which raised almost £10,000 for NICHS. The work that the charity does in providing health checks and detecting heart conditions with the aim of preventing fatalities like our mum Esther's, is invaluable to the people of Northern Ireland and we hoped that what we raised would be helpful in some small way.”
In May 2022, Michaela and her husband Emmet tied the knot and decided to honour Esther in a special way as part of their big day. Michaela says, “In lieu of wedding favours, we donated to the only charity that was close to our hearts; Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke.”
Little did Michaela know that she would soon experience what it is like to be struck by a heart illness first hand. She explains, “I was expecting our first baby when I began feeling breathless and having heart palpitations. I am generally quite fit and active, but I was really struggling to breathe or walk and didn’t quite know what was happening to me. With it being my first child, I wasn’t sure if the breathlessness was due to the baby’s position or if it was something more serious. I didn’t want to take any chances and so I decided I would go to hospital and get checked out.”
Little did Michaela know that she would soon experience what it is like to be struck by a heart illness first hand. She explains, “I was expecting our first baby when I began feeling breathless and having heart palpitations. I am generally quite fit and active, but I was really struggling to breathe or walk and didn’t quite know what was happening to me. With it being my first child, I wasn’t sure if the breathlessness was due to the baby’s position or if it was something more serious. I didn’t want to take any chances and so I decided I would go to hospital and get checked out.”
In hospital, Michaela was told she had suffered a massive pulmonary embolism. This is a potentially life-threatening condition where a blood vessel in your lungs is blocked by a clot.
Michaela continues, “I certainly was not expecting the situation to be as serious as what it was. As far as I was concerned, I was a healthy 33-year-old. I was a regular runner and taught Irish dancing to young children in my spare time. I ate healthily and looked after my body, so it was a complete shock that I was now faced with a life-threatening condition. The pulmonary embolism was preventing my body from getting enough oxygen. This lack of oxygen led to severe strain on my organs, particularly my heart, and I was very close to having a heart attack. I was admitted straight away and spent a week in hospital. The doctors and nurses were amazing and I received fantastic care. My fellow patients on the ward kept me going, along with the visits from my family and friends. I was finally discharged and was put on blood thinners for the rest of the pregnancy to avoid any further clotting.”
After spending a week in hospital Michaela was discharged but her journey to recovery had only just begun. “On returning home, I witnessed first-hand the effects a lung or heart condition can have on your quality of life. I struggled to breathe doing the smallest of tasks and my pulse would quicken when simply walking up the stairs. I wondered if I would ever recover and worried very much about the future, especially as I was carrying a precious little bundle. However, in the weeks and months after, I received the best care I could've asked for and slowly but surely, I began to see improvements. I got stronger and stronger and in November 2022 I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy. I can now relate to the people that NICHS work with as I have been in their shoes. I have experienced the physical and emotional pain that comes with a health scare and know the impact it has on your overall wellbeing.”
“Facing a possible life-changing illness is really tough on your mental health. Being told that you're not able to do things that you were once able to do without a second thought is hard to comprehend. I had to stay bed bound, was unable to work and was not allowed to do my usual hobbies like running or dancing until I could see my body was able to cope with lesser tasks. I worried whether I would ever be able to do the things I loved to do again and if my life would ever return to normal. I felt such incredible fear. Fear for my own health and fear for my son’s future if something were to happen me. People can often see the physical effects something like this can have on you, but the mental effects can be just as crippling.”
“Thankfully I can count myself as one of the lucky ones. Now, over a year later, I still feel pain from time to time and I'm very much still in recovery, but I am living to tell the tale. I have a bright future to look forward to with my wonderful husband and son by my side and I know that some people don't get that chance so I’m just grateful. I'm back doing everything that I once did, albeit in small steps, but I know there’s a lot of people out there whose reality is that their life will never go back to normal. I can’t imagine how tough that is on people, to have their life totally turned upside down.”
Now, Michaela and her family have continued to support Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke through fundraising, both to remember her mum, and to support others living with a heart condition. Esther ran an annual charity feis in Carrickmore because of her love for dancing, and Michaela and her sister Aisling have carried on her legacy by renaming the feis after her and continuing to donate all proceeds to charity each year.
Michaela says, “2023 marked the 10-year anniversary of mummy passing away, and so we decided to donate all proceeds from the Feis to NICHS so that they will have the resources to continue to do the fantastic work they are already doing. We were delighted to raise an incredible total of over £4,000.”
Michaela adds, “Initially our fundraising was all inspired by mummy, but little did I know it was something I would be facing in my life too. You never think it’s going to be you, but we hope through our fundraising we can help encourage other people to be aware of these conditions and know the importance of looking after their health, because it can happen to any of us, young or old. If any other couples are getting married or any individuals are organising future charity events I would encourage you to keep NICHS in mind and help support a worthy cause.”
Ali Patterson, Community Fundraiser at Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke says, “We are very thankful to Michaela for choosing to support our work by making us a part of her and Emmet’s wedding day through our wedding favours, and to her and her family for the amazing funds they have raised for our work through their Gala Ball and feis.”
“Today, there are as many as 470,000 people living with a chest, heart or stroke condition in Northern Ireland - that's one in three of the population. Almost 90% of our income comes from donations. Fundraising efforts like Michaela’s are vital in enabling us to continue to support the local community and provide life-changing services for people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions and their families.”
If you have been inspired by Michaela’s story you can find out more about the many different ways to support NICHS at www.nichs.org.uk/how-you-can-help
