A Chippenham woman who survived two heart attacks caused by a rare condition is preparing to tackle a 115km pilgrimage route in Spain this May.
Cathy Read will walk the final stretch of the Camino Francés alongside her husband Chris, hoping to raise £1,500 for Beat Scad, the charity that supported her through recovery.
The Wiltshire resident experienced two spontaneous coronary artery dissections (Scad), a condition that predominantly strikes women under 50 and frequently goes undiagnosed.
“Heart disease is often seen as a male condition, but actually, it’s one of the biggest killers of women in the UK,” she said. “I don’t think women realise the risk there.”
Her first heart attack struck in February 2021 while she was enjoying a walk along the South West Coast Path between Looe and Polperro. At the time, she had no idea how serious the situation was.
“I walked home after it, I didn’t call an ambulance. I went kayaking the next day; I didn’t understand what female heart attacks look like,” she said.
Over the following weeks, she experienced further episodes before finally visiting A&E, where an angiogram revealed the full extent of the damage: multiple tears across key arteries, including the left main stem and branches of the heart.
Her cardiologist described the condition as “extensive.”
Cathy Read will walk the final stretch of the Camino Francés alongside her husband Chris, hoping to raise £1,500 for Beat Scad, the charity that supported her through recovery
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She spent nine nights in a specialist cardiac care unit, connected to monitoring equipment as she processed what had happened.
Life then returned to normal for a couple of years, but in November 2023, while holidaying in Portugal, she suffered another heart attack – this time, her right coronary artery was affected.
She said: “During the angiogram procedure, my aorta was punctured, leaving me with a large aneurysm on the root of my aorta – something that took a long time to heal.”
Now approaching two years since that second attack, she’s channelling her energy into getting stronger and embracing new challenges.
The walk will end in the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain
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“I really wanted a physical challenge to give me confidence back and show I was capable of doing this big walk,” she explained.
She’s been training extensively around Wiltshire in preparation for the Spanish trek.
“It’s now nearly two years since my last heart attack, and I’m determined to focus on recovery, strength, and new adventures,” she said.
Scad occurs when a tear or bruise develops in the wall of a heart artery, disrupting blood flow and triggering a heart attack or rhythm problems.
It’s a condition that typically affects otherwise healthy, active women without the usual risk factors for cardiac issues.
“It is a rare heart condition and primarily happens to women who are generally healthy and active, and don’t have any of the normal risk factors for heart conditions,” Ms Read explained.
She’s keen to highlight that heart symptoms in women often look different from the classic signs people expect.
“My hope is that sharing my story encourages others to listen to their bodies, seek help early, and know that recovery – physical and emotional – isn’t linear, but it is possible,” she said.
Those wishing to support her challenge can donate via her JustGiving page.