Help Allison - Rare & Debilitating Heart Condition

Allison Beattie, a young woman of 25, passionate about helping all that she can, has fallen into a situation of needing help herself.

Beginning September of 2023, she has suffered with debilitating chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, racing heart rate, high blood pressure, almost passing out etc. multiple times a day.

After 16 months of debilitating chest pain episodes occurring multiple times daily with no relief, countless ER visits & cardiac tests; she thankfully & finally was diagnosed on December 20 of 2024 via an invasive cardiac procedure (cardiac angiogram provocation).

She has been diagnosed with a rare condition called Diffuse Coronary Artery Spasm (also known as Coronary Vasospasm, Variant Angina & Vasospastic Angina). 

Even while at rest, multiple of her heart's arteries suddenly go into episodes of spasm, which results in more than 70% constriction of her heart's arteries. The restricted blood flow to her heart causes her debilitating chest pain that can last hours. These episodes of constricted blood flow to the heart come with cardiac risk. Her cardiologists and other health professionals advise her to go to the ER for emergency observation to ensure no cardiac complications occur.

She has also been recently diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), which is a blood circulation disorder

where the body is unable to properly adjust to changes in position. This causes a rapidly increased heart rate from movement. The spike in her heart rate causes her dizziness, lightheadedness, angina and can cause fainting due to the disruption in blood flow to the brain.

Her case has been considered resistant to the standard treatment of medications. The cardiologists believe that it's possible that her having both conditions could be playing a role in the difficulty in treating her symptoms.

Despite her currently being on 5 cardiac medications (and has tried countless others), she still has no improvement or relief from her recurring daily symptoms & lingering pain.

There is no indication of when her condition will improve. We are waiting for a medication classified as special access through Health Canada that the research center has asked for since she has resistant/ refractory coronary artery spasms. It can take months until we have access to it, but we are hoping to see improvements in her condition with the new medication. Treatment has been a process of trial and error.

Despite spending Christmas of 2024 in the Cardiology ICU, having her emergency invasive cardiac procedure done on the anniversary of her father’s cardiac-related passing, and having no relief of her symptoms day in & day out for almost a year and a half, her spirits remain high.

As determined, bright-eyed & resilient as she is, she hasn’t been able to work since her debilitating symptoms began in September of 2023. Between her symptoms and the side effects of the medications, she has difficulty doing everyday tasks. She is currently in the process of filing for Retraite Quebec's disability program but in the meantime, she is not & has not been receiving additional financial support.

As her partner, I have also been her unofficial/ informal caregiver throughout. By being there to help her with everyday tasks, driving & accompanying her to medical appointments that have recently become multiple a week, I have had to take time off.

Until her condition is better & she's able to do these things herself, or once we're able to have access to these types of resources from the RAMQ, I will continue being her unofficial/informal caregiver for an undetermined amount of time.

Despite the unfortunate cards she has been dealt, she continues to smile, shows gratitude for the simple things in life, and radiates positivity each & every day. 

She often says: “Nothing lasts forever, so it’s bound to get better.” 

We would be eternally grateful if you would kindly consider helping her situation by sharing our fundraiser or sending a donation. By doing so, you will help elevate some of the stress that she’s been going through.

If you decide to donate, you will be contributing to expenses that come with situations like these, such as; travel expenses, medical expenses that aren't covered by RAMQ, missed income due to not being able to work, and monthly living expenses.

By contributing to her cause, you will be directly helping her be able to better focus on her medical treatments. You will help pave her road to cardiac rehabilitation to hopefully soon, get her "normal" everyday life back.

We are extremely grateful and cannot thank you enough for your support. Much love to you