Andrew Gostelow spoke to us about losing his mum suddenly to aortic dissection and his inspiring London Marathon journey.
Judith Gostelow collapsed at her home in July 2022 after she suffered from an aortic dissection and suddenly died shortly afterwards. Andrew, Judith’s son, recalls how there was no underlying evidence she had this condition
The 51-year-old explains: “She passed away quite suddenly. We did see changes in her health, as she wasn’t as active as she used to be. But she didn’t really speak very much about her health.
“We had no idea whether this was something that she was worried about, that she was suffering from. She didn’t really talk about it.”
Aortic dissection (AD) is a condition that kills more people every year in the UK than traffic accidents. AD is a rare but life-threatening condition where there is a tear in the inner wall of the aorta, the body’s largest artery. This can lead to reduced blood flow to organs and limbs, or a catastrophic rupture of the aorta. There are 2,500 cases of AD every year in England, and around 50% of people die before reaching a specialist centre.
This shocking realisation has inspired Heart Research UK to support research into AD and training in aortic surgery for heart surgeons. This is a highly specialised area and is difficult to train for because the operations are complex, and the numbers of patients are small. In 2014, Heart Research UK introduced aortic surgery masterclasses with the aim of improving the care of aortic patients. Also, in partnership with Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland, Heart Research UK is raising awareness of AD and the importance of early diagnosis, through the THINK AORTA campaign.
“My biggest take away from her death was to do something positive with the inspiration of her life and the memories she has given me.”
For Andrew, he took on the mammoth task of running 26.2 miles in the London Marathon for Heart Research UK and in memory of his mum.
He says: “My biggest take away from her death was to do something positive with the inspiration of her life and the memories she has given me.
“For me, it’s very much about raising awareness and supporting Heart Research UK, who support experts to do research and to make emergency medical practitioners more aware of and how to diagnose AD.
“That’s what I’m really motivated by; my efforts and in memory of my mum, so the money can go towards reducing the chance for other people who will have to suffer from AD and the devastating consequences.”
If you have been affected by aortic dissection like Andrew or you want to know find out more about aortic dissection, you can join our Aortic Dissection Support Group.
