The gift of life is in your hands
“I want to see a future when nobody need die prematurely from FH”
HEART UK ambassador Yvonne Dumsday, owes her life to a radio programme 35 years ago describing how Nobel prize winners discovered the genetic cause of Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH).
“When my daughter was just a baby, I was doing the ironing, when I had a complete light bulb moment", says Yvonne. “I suddenly realised that the early and often fatal heart disease they were describing on the radio was in my own family. My father died aged 52, my grandmother at 60, four aunts and uncles all died prematurely, one aged 43, and all from heart attacks". As a young mother, Yvonne quickly made an appointment to see her GP, was diagnosed with FH and put on medication.
Yvonne felt so sad about the terrible loss of her family members that she went on to become a founder member of The Family Heart Association which merged with The British Hyperlipidaemia Association in 2002 to form HEART UK. “I am passionate about raising awareness and supporting the good work that HEART UK does. It’s estimated that up to 260,000 people in the UK have FH, but fewer than 10 per cent have been diagnosed” says Yvonne. “I want to see a future when nobody need die prematurely from FH and it’s my wish to help in any way I can to achieve this”.
Yvonne wants her legacy to continue long after she has gone and has left HEART UK a gift in her Will. “Leaving a legacy to a charity you love is such a wonderful thing to do. It doesn’t matter how small the gift is, it is so valuable. I know my gift will be spent wisely and will help to save lives keeping families together for generations to come and that is a great comfort to me”.
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