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Thursday 6th July 2017

At the age of 92 Norman Thorpe has led a long and active life. While he has inevitably slowed down in his nineties, he has never let anything stop him from remaining independent and doing the activities he enjoys. It wasn’t until a trip to visit his daughter in Germany that he noticed he wasn’t feeling quite right and not long after his return he was diagnosed with heart valve disease.

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Monday 3rd July 2017

Having lived with a heart murmur that was the result of rheumatic fever as a child, Marina never noticed it having an effect on her life until she reached her 50s. It wasn’t until a visit to her GP with high blood pressure that she found out she had aortic stenosis (AS). Marina has since had treatment for her AS and is now back to work at her busy job as a Midwife. This is her story.

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Thursday 8th June 2017

Gareth Hopkins was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis in February 2017. Two months later, Gareth believed he was going in for open heart surgery to receive a valve replacement only to find that when he awoke, they could not perform the surgery because his valve was too damaged. Cue Dave Smith, Interventional Cardiologist, Morriston Hospital, who informed Gareth that he was the perfect candidate for a TAVI.

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Monday 24th April 2017

While heart valve disease is a condition that most often affects an older cohort of patients, it can be found in anyone. Meet Ed Smith; Ed, in his late forties, found himself slowing down, getting breathless and lacking the energy that he once had. He had always kept himself fit and stayed quite active but as he got a bit older he was finding his usual activities were getting harder to do.

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Monday 3rd October 2016

​James McElwee, from King’s Health, is a retired Printer and Voluntary International Rescue worker. In 2004, aged 60, he underwent valve replacement surgery for aortic stenosis and in 2015 had his aortic valve replaced again. He has written this account to help more people to become aware of this condition, and help reassure valve disease patients of the positive outcomes of treatment.

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Wednesday 28th September 2016

​In 2006, Patricia had a brief problem with heart palpitations, which acted as a red flag and prompted her to go and see her GP for a stethoscope check. 10 years on, she explains her story and why a “stitch in time” really did apply to her valve disease!

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Wednesday 10th August 2016

​Sue, from Kent, was diagnosed with aortic stenosis in 2013. After a successful TAVI procedure she is now back to enjoying time with her grandchildren and gardening in her community. Read her story to find out more about her experience and her advice.

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Wednesday 10th August 2016

​Gerry Kijak is 63 and lives in Solihull with his wife. In February 2016, he underwent double heart bypass surgery and had an aortic valve replacement due to heart valve disease. His valve disease story is especially poignant and shows just how important it is to not ignore your symptoms.

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