I’m David, a 51-year-old ACHD patient from the Wirral. I’ve been married to Clare for 25 years and we have 3 daughters – one aged 24 and 18 year old twins.
I was born with a hole in the heart (Ventricular Septal Defect) and had my first operation in 1974 aged 15 months. Apart from annual checks up, I lived a normal life until my mid 30’s when I had my second open heart surgery in 2009 at LHCH – Right Ventricular Outflow Tract reconstruction. Post surgery I suffered electrical issues with my heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) and spent the summer of 2009 in Manchester Royal Infirmary receiving treatment including several ablations and cardio versions.
I started to suffer symptoms of heart failure from 2018 and had my third surgery to replace the tricuspid value and insert a pacemaker in 2021. In September 2024 I was admitted into LHCH and diagnosed with endocarditis and needed another open-heart surgery to replace the tricuspid value and pacemaker. I spent 4 months being treated pre-and post-surgery in LHCH and am grateful for all the help and support provided by the ACHD team.
Balancing working full time as an HR/Communications professional for companies like Unilever and Bank of America and handling my symptoms has not been easy. Following the latest surgery, I’ve made a number of life choices in order to spend more time with my family and focus on my wellbeing. Since my most recent hospital stay I have been looking for a way to help other patients/families given my experiences and this is why I joined the Patient and Public Voice group.