Just a year after having a heart transplant 38-year-old Heidi Harty-Eugster will take part in a Mother's Day run and walk event in Christchurch to help raise awareness about women's heart health.
Joining her in the Jennian Homes fun run on May 12 will be her 10-year-old daughter Coco. Christchurch is one of 26 locations holding the annual event, now in its seventh year.
Heart health is a topic very important to Harty-Eugster. As a child she was diagnosed with a condition that causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thick – a genetic condition she shared with her dad and other family members – and also experienced abnormal heart rhythms.
Twice having open heart surgery by the age of 18, a defibrillator was implanted in her chest in her early 20s after she experienced a cardiac arrest while biking to work.
In her 30s, following another open-heart surgery to repair a leaky valve and various cardioversion procedures to restore a normal heart rhythm, she was told a transplant was her only option for survival.
"By then I couldn't walk 50 metres without having to stop and rest, and got breathless just eating and talking," she says.
Incredibly grateful to her donor, Harty-Eugster has since been building up her strength and taking part in regular active events as well as going to the gym.
"Many people still think a heart attack is more likely to happen to an old man...but this isn't so," she says. "Unfortunately women don't tend to speak about it or ignore symptoms. We just can't take our heart health for granted."
One of the lessons she is keen to impart to her daughter - and women of all ages - is the need to keep active.
"So many of us have very sedentary jobs, everything is automated and we can go into the office and not move from our desks for hours. The heart is a muscle, and like every muscle it needs to be exercised to keep it strong and healthy; there can be a bit of pain as you start out, but the feel good factor at the end is fantastic."
With heart disease claiming twice as many lives of Kiwi women than any other single cause (more than 3,000 women die every year), Jennian is aiming to raise awareness of women's heart health and help stop women dying prematurely from the disease.
Jennian Homes chief operating officer Aidan Jury says the company is a proud supporter of the Heart Foundation's work, including being a major sponsor of the Heart Foundation Lottery and organising the Mother's Day events around the country.
"Sadly, so many Kiwi families have their lives significantly changed due to significant heart health issues," he says. "If through funding valuable heart research, we can help more families stay together then we have done our job."
Heart Foundation Medical Director Dr Gerry Devlin says that the charity is very grateful for the long-term partnership it has with Jennian and for its support of raising awareness about women's heart health.
"Heart disease is the single biggest cause of death for women in New Zealand, but many people are unaware of these statistics because they believe it to be a 'man's disease'," says Devlin.
"Nearly two-thirds of deaths from heart attacks in women occur among those who have no history of chest pain. Unfortunately, women also tend to wait longer than men to call for an ambulance after experiencing heart attack warning signs."
To register for the event in your location visit www.jennianmothersday.com or contact Lisa van Vuuren, Jennian Homes marketing manager at 027 349 4728.