Coronary heart disease (CHD) kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer in the UK every year. In the UK, 830,000 women are currently living with CHD and 32,000 women are admitted to hospital following a heart attack each year – an average of 88 women per day, or four per hour.
“I survived five heart attacks”
Sally Bee, 54 in 2022, suffered her first heart attack when she was 36. She was attending a children’s party when she became extremely poorly and endured serious pain, describing it as worse than giving birth to any of her three children.
“I had a feeling of impending doom, as if a big black cloud was looming over me. I understood immediately that something very serious was happening to me and that it was beyond my control. I collapsed on the floor, feeling as if my chest was being crushed and struggling to breathe. I felt sick and hot and sweaty.”
The ambulance crew only found a slight abnormality to her heart rhythm but ruled out any heart problems due to her young age and healthy lifestyle. After a few hours at the hospital, she was sent home with indigestion tablets.
Sally then went on to have another two heart attacks within the next few weeks. Her heart had sustained so much damage the doctors told her husband and children to say their goodbyes to her.
“I had a feeling of impending doom as if a big black cloud was looming over me”
“I was filled with an all-consuming need and desire and passion not to let myself die”
“I was filled with an all-consuming need and desire and passion not to let myself die. I can’t put into words how strong the feeling was.”
She fought for every second of her life, and the hours turned into days. As she continued to recover over the years, the doctors told her a less healthy person most likely would have died.
Unfortunately, Sally had several more heart attacks in 2016.
But after surviving five heart attacks, Sally’s life is a testament to her positive outlook on life and the advancements in research that have helped her recovery.
Sally’s heart attacks were caused by spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) – a rare heart condition that happens suddenly and without warning. SCAD occurs when there’s a tear in the wall of one of the coronary arteries which supplies blood to the heart muscle. This results in a blockage that reduces or blocks blood flow, which can lead to a heart attack or cardiac arrest. It is most common in younger to middle-aged women, and those affected are often fit and healthy.
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