Inverness woman living with heart disease backs new campaign to save lives
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Sherrill Mason, 37, is supporting the British Heart Foundation (BHF) campaign that is raising awareness of the power of science.
It hopes the campaign, This is Science, will both save and improve the lives of people with heart and circulatory diseases by showing how science can lead to new treatments and cures.
Ms Mason was diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolamia (FH) by genetic testing developed by the BHF.
She said: “I am living proof of the importance of research - without it I would never have known I had FH or the risks I was facing as a result.
"I was so lucky that another relative had been diagnosed and through a family tree, I was then tested too. That is why the work of the BHF is so important to me. Quite literally, it is a cause close to my heart.”
The research by the BHF discovered the faulty genes Ms Mason had which caused the condition, and the early diagnosis helped to save her life.
“Before I was diagnosed, I had never heard of FH. I must admit it scared me when my doctor said it was possible that without treatment my condition put me at a greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke by the time I was 40. At that point I was 35, so it really was a shock," Ms Mason continued.
“But it also spurred me on to make healthy changes to my lifestyle. Alongside taking my medication, I gave up smoking, started exercising more and became vegan. "Now I feel much more positive about the whole thing as I know there have been many medical advances in FH. I’m much healthier as a result and as long as I remember to take my medication, I am able to lead a perfectly normal life. For me and so many other families across the country, BHF research has given us hope for the future.”
The BHF is currently funding around £60 million of research across Scotland.
James Jopling, head of BHF Scotland, added: “Our research has achieved a great deal over the last 60 years, but we need to go further, faster. Heart and circulatory diseases cause heartache on every street in Scotland and thousands of deaths ever year.
"With your help, we are determined to do all we can to save and improve more lives. Your donations will power the science to help find the breakthroughs, treatments and cures of the future.
"For more than 60 years support from incredible people like Sherrill, and so many others across the country, has helped the BHF turn research that once seemed like 'science fiction' into reality and we need your help now more than ever.”
