Help my Mum recover from heartbreak - literally ❤️‍

Two days ago, I knew nothing about heart disease. Now, I’m facing it head-on as my mum fought for her life and faces a lengthy recovery.

My mum has been in in-patient care for complex PTSD for the past month, undergoing intensive trauma therapy. On Monday night, I got a call that shattered me – my mum had suffered what was initially thought to be a heart attack. The doctors believed it was a non-STEMI heart attack, a type that’s not as severe as the “big one” but still does lasting damage.

The episode began while she was in a particularly challenging therapy session with her psychiatrist. She started showing signs of a heart attack, and her psychiatrist, recognising the seriousness, rushed her to the emergency room. After blood tests and an ECG, it seemed to confirm our worst fears.

She was immediately admitted to the ICU and scheduled for an urgent angiogram the following morning. The procedure revealed she had not suffered a traditional heart attack, but rather Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as "Broken Heart Syndrome." This condition can be triggered by a sudden surge of stress hormones due to extreme emotional or physical stress.

I may never know what came up in that therapy session that was so profoundly distressing for her. But I do know the weight of the trauma she’s carried throughout her life. It’s heartbreaking to know how much pain she has endured, and now it’s taken a toll on her physical heart, too.

I stayed with her throughout the angiogram and then had to return to Brisbane. I’m heading back to Toowoomba to be by her side and work from there for at least the next few days, as she recovers in the cardiac ward.

The challenges ahead are immense. My mum was already experiencing an unstable housing situation – something that is really hard to acknowledge when everyone around us seems stable in that respect. And now, on top of everything, she’s facing a lengthy recovery in hospital.

We’re in a tight spot financially. I’ll need to stay while supporting my mum in Toowoomba and continue working because our family’s income is crucial.

I’m reaching out for help. The funds raised will support my mum through this recovery and help her secure safe and stable housing once she’s discharged. Your support will help give her a real chance to heal and rebuild.

With all things complex, we don't necessarily know what the outcome will be but we want to give her the best chance to rebuild and recover quickly. She does so much for so many and we need to rally around her now.

Thank you for anything you can contribute – every bit helps and means the world to us. If you can’t donate, sharing this with your networks would still make a huge difference.