Woman planning 115km walk after two heart attacks

"A woman is planning to walk 115km to raise awareness of a rare condition which caused her to have two heart attacks. Cathy Read from Chippenham in Wiltshire has survived two spontaneous coronary artery dissections (SCAD). The rare condition predominantly affects women under 50 and is often under-diagnosed. In May, Read will be walking the Camino Frances route in Spain to raise funds for the charity that supported her recovery."

"SCAD is an emergency condition that occurs when a tear or a bruise forms in a wall of a heart artery. This can slow or block blood flow, which causes a heart attack or heart rhythm problems. Read's first heart attack took place in 2021, after she walked the South West Coast Path between Looe and Polperro. She said: "I walked home after it [my first heart attack,] I didn't call an ambulance. I went kayaking the next day; I didn't understand what female heart attacks look like.""

""It [SCAD] is a rare heart condition and primarily happens to women who are generally healthy and active, and don't have any of the normal risk factors for heart conditions," she explained. "When something like that happens out of nowhere, it really shakes your confidence and makes you question everything about your body." Cathy Read In 2023, she had another heart attack while on holiday in Portugal. Throughout her recovery, she has been supported by Beat SCAD, a charity which raises awareness of the little-known condition and also funds crucial research. She hopes to raise 1,500 for the charity with her fundraiser in Spain, which will take six days."

Cathy Read from Chippenham will walk 115km along the Camino Frances in May to raise funds and awareness after surviving two spontaneous coronary artery dissections (SCAD). SCAD is an emergency when a tear or bruise forms in a coronary artery wall, slowing or blocking blood flow and causing heart attacks or rhythm problems. The condition predominantly affects women under 50, often healthy and without typical heart-risk factors, and is frequently under-diagnosed. Read suffered her first SCAD heart attack in 2021 and a second in 2023 while abroad. She aims to raise £1,500 for Beat SCAD and regain confidence through the six-day physical challenge.

Read at www.bbc.com