My diagnosis affected everything we wanted in life.
When Nicole fell in love with Cameron, they dreamed of having a family. But a cardiomyopathy diagnosis at 28 meant Nicole would never be strong enough to carry a child and pregnancy would be dangerous for her. After an emotional journey, the family welcomed their son James through a surrogate in 2017.
“When my son was a toddler, my husband had to be the one to lift him, to chase him, to go to the pool with him. I just couldn’t handle any of it.”
Nicole loved being a mum, but the cruelty of heart disease meant she missed out on so many of “the simple things that other mums take for granted”.
She needed a heart transplant, and there was no guarantee that she would get one in time, or that it would be successful. When other people her age were planning career moves and overseas holidays, Nicole was making plans for the event of her death.
Thankfully, her transplant was a great success. Nicole will need medication and regular monitoring for life, but she is still here – and six-year-old James is starting to learn how brave and determined his mum is.
Without decades of research into heart disease, Nicole wouldn’t be here today. She wouldn’t have had a chance to be the wife and mum she always wanted to be. People like you are vital to helping find the next big breakthrough.
Your gift can protect the lives and future dreams of heart patients like Nicole.
Help support life-changing medical research.
New research means hope for broken hearts
Right now, the only way to treat severe cases of heart failure is with a transplant. Sadly, for patients and their loved ones these operations aren’t always a success.
Patients can suffer from complications after surgery or even experience transplant rejection. Some people die waiting for a donor heart.
Researcher, Mel is determined to change this. Her goal is to find drug treatments that stop people’s heart disease from progressing to the serious stage where heart failure – or a heart transplant – are the likely outcomes.
With someone dying from this condition every three hours, this is urgent research that could save countless lives.
Mel has access to state-of-the-art lab facilities at The Prince Charles Hospital. And, because the hospital is a specialist transplant hospital, Mel has access to real failed hearts that have been kindly donated to research by consenting patients undergoing transplant.
But – and it’s a big ‘but’ – the advances she makes today can only be turned into treatments in the future with secure ongoing funding from people like you.
In the future, drug treatment could prevent the need for some heart transplants.
A heart transplant isn't always a 'cure' for heart disease. It's more often a last resort to save a life.
Mel has discovered that drugs - including some that are already used to treat other conditions - could potentially keep hearts healthy enough, so that they don't need complex surgery.
But it's early days yet. Other members of Mel's team are working on equally exciting projects - including drugs that could prevent people from going into heart failure, or ones that can reverse the damage done by some types of heart disease.
Shortness of breath, dizzy spells and fainting episodes are just some of the symptoms people like Nicole endure. Her heart disease was also emotionally and physically devastating for her - and worrying for her loved ones.
Nicole is a big believer in research. She credits the generosity of people in the past for her life today - and would love to see a future where others don't go through what she has.
Research like Mel's could transform the lives of thousands of people in our community.
Your gift helps the lives and future dreams of heart patients like Nicole
Without donations like yours, Nicole wouldn't have had a chance to be the wife and mum she always wanted to be. People like you are vital to helping find the next big breakthrough. Please don't delay in sharing your kindness.
