A Leeds man lost his dad due to a dilated heart and is now living with the fear of the same condition hitting him.
Morley resident Matthew Springthorpe is "impacted every day" after the loss of dad Martin who had a life-threatening heart disease. Martin had dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and died after collapsing in his garden.
The condition makes the muscle walls of the heart become stretched and thin, resulting in the heart not being able to pump blood around the body properly. Matthew, 32, discovered in 2013 that he had inherited the life-threatening disease.
In 2019, Matthew was told that the condition was causing life-threatening heart rhythms. He was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to help regulate abnormal rhythms - especially those that can be dangerous and cause a cardiac arrest.
He said: "After several tests, my cardiologist told me I was at high risk of sudden death, which was just shocking to hear. I had a 24-hour ECG, which found that whilst I slept, my heart rate would go really low. I was then told I’d need to have an ICD fitted
"I’ve always been a fairly active person, so I’ve had to adapt to living with an ICD. I loved sports and going to the gym, but it put a question mark over how much I could do."
Sadly, in 2020, Matthew’s father passed away aged 57 due to an infection, which caused further strain on his heart. He added: "Losing my dad is something that still impacts me to this day. It’s something you don’t understand until you go through it.
"We were very close and had lots in common – I could talk to him about anything, and he was always a great support." After being fitted with an ICD, Matthew wanted to keep his love for sport alive.
He was inspired to support the British Heart Foundation and set himself a challenge each year in aid of the charity. Last year, he completed the Great North Run – and in July, he will take on the BHF’s 2022 Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.
The charity worker added: "Before I was fitted with an ICD, I was always competitive – I would do parkruns and always aim for the best time. But the ICD has given me a rain check and made me realise that it’s not about the finish time, it’s about the finish line.
"I know my dad would want me to complete it and would be cheering me across the line. I hope to raise as much money as I can for the BHF, to help fund new treatments and discover new cures through research."
The BHF’s Yorkshire Three Peaks will see participants follow a route that starts and ends in Horton-on-Ribblesdale, taking on the three highest peaks in Yorkshire: Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. They will also trek through the heart of some of the UK’s most majestic scenery, including the famous Ribblehead Viaduct.
And those taking part will also raise money towards the BHF’s life saving research into conditions like heart disease, stroke and vascular dementia, and their risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes. People can choose to take part in the event on either Saturday 23 July or Sunday 24 July 2022.
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