When Olivia Lister’s grandma died from a heart attack, she was completely devastated. Now the 25-year-old from Lincoln is sharing her story as she dedicated her biggest running challenge yet, the London Marathon, to taking on heart disease.
I was in a card shop when my grandma burst into laughter and tears started welling up in her eyes. She was howling at the funny and distasteful birthday cards we were flicking through. I couldn’t stop giggling either, as her laugh and broad Scottish accent filled the entire shop.
That was my favourite memory of her. She was a cheeky, loving, and warm person. I spent most evenings after school at her house, I remember we would sit at opposite ends of the table and laugh about everything with each other.
In 2017, I was with her when she said she had discomfort in her chest, which she thought was due to her bra being too tight. But, in reality she was suffering from a heart attack.
She hadn’t been in much pain and waited days before she got medical treatment. She didn’t want to ‘make a fuss’. When we managed to convince her to come to the hospital with us, she had two stents fitted. The amount of stress and damage caused to her heart because of the delay in treatment was huge. The doctor at the time had said if she had gone in straight away instead of waiting, she would not have suffered as much damage to her heart. It was devastating for us to learn that what she thought was discomfort due to some clothing was actually something that could be so fatal.
“The amount of stress and damage caused to her heart because of the delay in treatment was huge.”
Only a few years later in 2019, I was on a late lunch at work and my mum called me. It was odd for her to call as she’d only seen me a few hours before. But I’ll never forget the moment she told me my grandma had died from a second heart attack.
I was shocked and it didn’t feel real. I remember leaving work straight away and when I got to my car, I just screamed. I couldn’t believe she was gone.
Earlier that day, my grandma had been in bed and was pale, unable to eat. My mum and grandad were about to take her to the hospital and when they got her in the car, she had a massive heart attack. Losing her that quickly with absolutely no prior warning was heart-breaking.
I had only seen her a few days before, for my grandad’s birthday. I had made him a birthday card and my grandma found it hilarious, she loved it. It felt like a full circle moment as our last conversation was something we enjoyed doing together. She was like the heart of our family, and it took us a very long time to come to terms with what had happened.
For me, my grandma’s passing really reinforced not only how important it is to educate yourself about the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, but to also never worry about making a fuss. The amount of damage caused by her first heart attack undoubtedly didn’t give her much of a chance when she had her second one.
This inspired me to take on the London Marathon for a charity close to my heart. I chose Heart Research UK, so I can not only raise funds for such a brilliant charity but raise awareness. When people see my journey, I want them to be able to spot the signs and symptoms of a heart attack if they are ever in the same situation and prevent others from experience loss like my family has.
If you have been inspired by Olivia’s story or you want to know more about taking on a challenge to raise money for Heart Research UK
