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Jim's Story

“They say it’s hereditary. 60% of the reason for heart attacks is hereditary. The rest is cholesterol, diet, fitness and stress. So if it’s in your genes you have a good chance of having one”, says Jim Carroll, former General Manager of transport company BR&SL Porter Ltd.Jim suffered two heart attacks which both occurred after physical activities – going to the gym and on a cycle ride.The first waveIn 1997 Jim was in between jobs while living in Dunedin. He was on a gym machine whe...

Kerri's Story

"I was admitted to the hospital on the 16th of June because of a heart failure. I was 36. Kerri had surgery on the 29th of July 2015.I felt unwell for around five years, but I was always short of breath and was told that I had asthma. I was unable to sleep lying flat the previous year."...

Ron's Story

Ron Barclay had his first major stroke when he was flying an aeroplane.It was 6 o'clock, on a cold night, in 1983. At 81 years old, his mind was sharp but his heart was giving out.In November, Barclay was told he had six months left to live – the valve in his heart had closed to the thickness of pencil lead and he could hardly breathe.Waikato surgeons, however, offered Barclay a lifeline."I don't know if you can call it a lifeline, but they offered hope," he said.Barclay did not qualify for op...

Bernie's Story

In his forties and fifties Bernie Cloke scared the living daylights out of his wife, friends and family.  One minute he would be as right as rain and the next minute he’d collapse, unable to stand up, walk or move his arms.Just five years ago, aged 65, Bernie was finally diagnosed as having an arrhythmia.  An arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heart beat, it can beat too fast, too slow or with an irregular rhythm.Bernie’s arrhythmia goes back 25 years and starte...

Simon's Story

Simon Lowe will forever be grateful to The Heart Trust for providing funding for this specialised equipment, and to Waikato Hospital for performing Cardiac Ablation, a procedure used to prevent abnormal rhythms from moving through the heart. This revolutionary technology has negated the need for open heart surgery.Simon was born with an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), also known as a hole in the heart. At the age of four, he received his first open heart surgery and spent a number of years in fine h...