Love and Sunshine

    Lynda Blatchford loved life, her motto was …”Love and Sunshine”.

 

    She loved the beach, playing netball and going to the gym but most
    importantly she loved her husband and two beautiful children. Her friends and
    family described her as fun loving, happy and a beautiful person who was well
    respected in her community.

 

 

 

After the birth of Lynda’s second child she became very ill. Originally she was diagnosed as having a blood disorder and treatment was to begin, however in March 2011 she was hit by a virus. Lynda was tired, losing colour and unfortunately never really recovered from the virus.  

 

Sadly on 30th June 2011 Lynda passed away at the age of 31, leaving behind her husband and two beautiful children aged 4 and a half years old and 22 months.

The results from the autopsy revealed it was actually her heart - Cardiomyopathy, the deterioration of the heart muscle. 

 

Lynda’s grandfather also died from the disease in 1963 and it appears to have skipped a generation. Unfortunately Lynda’s children are at high risk also of this terrible disease.

From all of us at The Heart Research Institute we wish to express our deepest sympathies to Lynda’s husband, her children, family and friends.

 

Cardiomyopathy cannot usually be completely reversed or 'cured'. However, it can be helped or controlled by treatments which, depending on symptoms, may include medications, pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and, in a small number of cases, surgery. In its most advanced stages, cardiomyopathy may be treated by heart transplantation with good long-term results, but early diagnosis is crucial. 

 

There are very few symptoms of cardiomyopathy some complaints include shortness of breath, fatigue and a feeling of lethargy, palpitations, fainting attacks and sometimes chest pains.

 

Heart Disease is not only the No 1 Killer in Australia it’s the No. 1 Killer Disease Worldwide! 

 

50,000 Australians die every year from heart disease, and statistics now show that it is more prevalent in women:

1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men die of heart disease. 

 

Please help us to detect Heart Disease earlier and help to keep families together for longer.

Donate in Memory of Linda: