'My dad died suddenly from inherited condition - I want to give back in his memory'
“I miss my dad every day as there was so much I enjoyed sharing with him and he was so supportive of everything I did.”
A Co Tyrone woman is taking part in her first half marathon this weekend in memory of her dad, who died suddenly last year aged 72, from a cardiac arrest.
Karen McAnirn, who is from from Omagh but now lives in Antrim, is racing in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon this Sunday, August 24 to raise funds for British Heart Foundation NI (BHF NI), as the biggest funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases in Europe.
Her dad, Ernie, lived with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a disease of the heart muscle where the muscle wall of the heart becomes thickened, which can increase your risk of having a cardiac arrest.
Karen, 28, said: “My dad was diagnosed at age 15 with HCM. His father passed away in his mid-40s from a cardiac arrest and at the post-mortem they discovered he had an inherited heart condition called cardiomyopathy. My dad and his siblings were all tested for it and both him and his brother were told they had the same condition.
“My dad had always been very sporty but with the diagnosis, the advice was to stop any intense sport. He still continued to play badminton, and later, in his job as a teacher, he was very involved with young people and sport.
“Dad didn’t want to let it stop him from doing anything he wanted to do. However he made sure me and my sister were aware of his heart condition and both of us have been monitored since childhood.”
Karen describes the day her beloved dad suddenly passed away in early July 2024: “Dad had been out all day at the Omagh Show with my mum and had a great day. He was sat having a cup of tea and my mum came in and said that he didn’t look well. Then it all happened very quickly, where he collapsed in front of my mum. Mum realised it was serious and immediately rang the ambulance and she also started CPR.”
The paramedics arrived at the house within minutes and continued to work on Ernie, but tragically, there was nothing more they could do.
Karen said: “I miss my dad every day as there was so much I enjoyed sharing with him and he was so supportive of everything I did.
“My dad was a very charitable person, involved in the community and enjoyed helping people. Although the training for the half marathon has been hard, I know he would have been so proud and that keeps me going, along with the generosity of everyone who is supporting my fundraising.”
Karen added: “I’m grateful to say my sister and I do not appear to have inherited HCM but it’s not something I take for granted. Many families are not so fortunate.
“I have chosen to support the British Heart Foundation because their research helps identify these problems early, enabling people to seek treatment and potentially save lives. Supporting them is a way to honour my dad’s memory while helping other families like my own.”
Orla Copeland, BHF NI Fundraising Manager, said: “We’re so thankful to our supporters like Karen, who have experienced such devastating loss because of inherited heart conditions and are determined to help try to improve the lives of others who may have to go through this.
“So far over £4,000 has been raised by the Antrim Coast half marathon runners for British Heart Foundation. This will provide vital support for our life-saving research to help those affected by heart and circulatory conditions.”
To support Karen, go to https://www.givengain.com/project/karen-mcanirn-raising-funds-for-british-heart-foundation.
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