Girl and mum both needed pacemakers after heart stop scare
A MOTHER and her 10-year-old daughter have been fitted with pacemakers after finding they have the same heart condition.
Helen and Emily both needed a pacemaker
Helen Swain, 40, and Emily have “complete heart block”, a rare illness in which the heart stops beating.
Helen was diagnosed 20 years ago after her heart stopped on a train.
Then Emily was diagnosed at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London last March after her heart suddenly stopped as well.
I have never been so scared in my life
Mrs Swain, of Colchester, Essex, said: “I have never been so scared in my life.”
If the condition is untreated, the heart can stop at any time, with no guarantee it will restart.
But having a pacemaker means the problem should not return.
Grateful Emily has raised £1,500 for the British Heart Foundation.
- To donate, please visit justgiving.com/emily-heart-fundraising.