Charity challenge is a cause very close to Debbie's heart

After watching her father suffer 12 heart attacks, no one understands the dangers of heart disease more than Debbie Byrne. Here, the computer consultant from The Westlands tells Liz Rowley about her family's ordeal and why she's doing her bit for the British Heart Foundation

CONSIDERING someone dies every six minutes from a heart attack in the UK, Joseph Leeming did well to survive 12 of them during his 76 years.

The former Simon-Hartley employee suffered his first when he was in his 30s, and daughter Debbie can still recall the memory.

"I think I was about three when he had his first heart attack and I can vaguely remember the ambulance coming to take him to hospital," says the 48-year-old.

"He was quite young, but after that every time he had a heart attack he had a double one – one at home and then one in hospital."

Suffering from coronary thrombosis, a condition Debbie's grandfather also died of, meant Joseph – or Ted as he was known to friends and family – had to take measures to ensure he lived as healthy a life as possible.

Debbie says: "Because dad was in the Navy and had grown up in that era he was a smoker. He knew he had to quit when he had his first heart attack, but this wasn't an easy thing to do. He did manage it though, and the hospital also pointed him in the right direction in terms of a healthy eating plan."

Through all the physical and emotional trauma, however, it was Debbie's mum Brenda who kept the family together.

"Dad was my mum's world, she did everything for him and was the one who held the family together when he was poorly and cared for him when he had to give up work," says Debbie, who now lives in the family home in Chester Crescent, The Westlands, with her husband Steve, a 43-year-old HGV driver.

"Both of them tried to keep things from me and my older sister Pat, because we were so young when he started suffering, but family meant everything to dad and for a long time we were able to do the everyday things families did."

Spending many hours in hospital, Debbie has seen first hand the progress that's been made in treating patients with heart conditions such as Ted's.

"Treatment has changed hugely since dad was first taken ill," she says.

"When he had his first heart attack he was wrapped in cotton wool and was told not to get out of bed for weeks. When he had his later ones they were doing pioneering treatment where they got him out of bed the next day and into a controlled gym in the hospital just to see if exercise helped the recovery," she adds.

"A bypass operation was offered to my dad but the survival rate at that time was just 25 per cent. Now they are doing triple bypasses every day. It's incredible."

While she notes impressive progress has been made, however, Debbie realises that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the dangers of heart disease and to increase the profile of organisations such as the British Heart Foundation.

She says: "Heart disease is one of the country's biggest killers and it's important that we help to raise awareness of this. The BHF is there to help people when faced with difficult times and uncertainty, when having to deal with heart disease and its consequences."

Having participated in BHF events as a child, and having seen daughter Katy take part in this year's Race For Life following Brenda's death from cancer last year at the age of 81, it didn't take long for Debbie to get involved in the BHF's High Peak Winter Trail Challenge.

The 17-mile hike, which takes place on Sunday, sees entrants make the journey from Hurdlow, six miles south of Buxton, to Cromford Meadows, near Matlock.

Debbie says: "I'd done quite a few things for the foundation when I was younger, and seeing Katy do the Race For Life made me think about getting involved again.

"Losing mum to cancer was very difficult, but it was this that really spurred me into seriously thinking about raising money for the Heart Foundation. Cancer receives a lot of publicity and money through fundraising, which I think is a fantastic thing, but I know so many people who, either themselves or relatives, appear totally fit and are then struck down by heart disease."

Getting ready for next weekend's hike has been an easy chore for Debbie, who is taking 21-year-old graphic design graduate Katy along for moral support.

"Katy is coming on the hike with me, which I'm pleased about, and I'm hoping to raise over £250," she adds.

Debbie will be taking part in the High Peak Winter Trail Challenge on Sunday, November 22. To sponsor her visit http://original.justgiving.com/debbiebyrne or drop into The Waggon and Horses, , Higherland, Newcastle, where a sponsorship form can be found at the bar.