When her mum died from heart failure just two days after diagnosis, Nicola Vincent vowed to help stop such a tragedy from happening to other families.
Nicola Vincent, 34, from Ipswich, is taking part in the iconic Regent’s Park Run in aid of the British Heart Foundation to help fund life-saving research after losing her mum last year.
Her mum, Maureen, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a group of chronic lung diseases which cause difficulty breathing, last September.
Her condition deteriorated and she was subsequently diagnosed with early heart failure, meaning her heart was not pumping blood around the body as well as it used to, just a couple of days after her 67th birthday.
She died just two days after this diagnosis.
Mrs Vincent, who is taking part with her friend Michelle whose husband is waiting for a heart valve replacement operation, said: “When my mum got the heart failure diagnosis, she tried to stay strong for all of us and made every effort to carry on as normal.
“Two days later, after a visit from a nurse, she went to bed as normal.
“The thought didn’t cross my mind that this would be the last time we would see her alive.
“I was in complete shock and my dad Noel and I were left devastated that we had no chance to say goodbye.”
She signed up to become a Heart Runner a day after her mum’s funeral and will join hundreds of others on March 18 as they take on a 5km or 10km course across the London park.
She added: “I knew I needed to do something to raise awareness of heart disease and fundraise for research to help stop such a tragedy from happening to other families.
“So I signed up to the British Heart Foundation’s Regent’s Park Run. My mum’s passing has made me realise that now’s the time to get out of my comfort zone, as you never know what’s around the corner.
“Even if I walk to the finish line, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to raise as much money as I can for the British Heart Foundation.
“I’ve already made it my mission to fundraise for the BHF every year as what happened to my mum could happen to anyone.”
See here to donate.
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