Finding a way through loss and heart issues
Published: 28 January 2025
After losing her partner to a heart attack and facing years of her own heart issues, Lesly now manages her health with a pacemaker, staying active and supporting the Heart Foundation to raise awareness about heart health.
In 2016, Lesly’s life changed in an instant. After saying goodnight to her partner, Garry, just 10 minutes later, she found him gone—he had passed away suddenly from a heart attack.
"He was only 57 and had been doing so well," she recalls. Garry had been dealing with heart issues for three years, including cardiomyopathy, an arrhythmia and fluid around the heart. Despite being treated and released from the heart clinic, his condition seemed stable.
"We even went on a trip to Australia, and he felt much better after that." But on the evening of 25 October 2016, everything changed.
The unexpected loss hit Lesly hard, but her own heart challenges were still ahead.
At 56, she discovered she had a small hole in her heart, a condition she hadn’t known about.
Lesly had been experiencing blackouts since 2012 where she would tend to collapse and found out these were cause by a sudden stoppage of her heart for a matter of seconds.
Over time, her blackouts grew more concerning. "It turns out my heart would just stop, and I wouldn’t even know it until later."
Four years ago, she had a device inserted to monitor her heart nightly, but episodes continued. After several more blackouts, and even a fall that resulted in a smashed kneecap, doctors decided she needed a pacemaker. In April 2024, Lesly had the device inserted, and thankfully, she’s had no further issues since. "At my last check-up, everything looked good."
Now 67, but still leading a busy working life, Lesly’s journey has been deeply shaped by the support of her family and friends.
"My two children, my friends, and my coworkers are amazing. They notice if something’s wrong, like if my breathing changes or I’m not looking right. Their support means the world to me."
She is also grateful for the heart clinic in Waikato, where she’s received excellent care.
"If anything goes wrong, they adjust the settings on my device immediately. It’s really reassuring."
Staying active is a big part of Lesly’s life, even after a knee replacement and her heart condition. She still works four days a week as an office manager and tries to maintain a demanding lifestyle.
"It’s important to keep active, both for your body and your brain, though I’ve had to learn to slow down and rest more on the advice of the cardiologist."
Lesly decided to channel her experience into something positive by participating in MyMarathon 2024, the Heart Foundation’s fundraising event. Despite not being able to run due to her knee replacement, she walked every day, covering 97km over the month of May and raising over $400.
"I’m happy to support the Heart Foundation. After all the help I’ve received, it’s personal for me."
When asked what advice she’d give to others, Lesly emphasises the importance of staying moderately active and asking questions.
"You don’t have to be super fit, but try to stay reasonably active. And always ask your doctors questions. Understanding why and how things are happening can be difficult, but it’s important to know what’s going on with your body."
As Lesly reflects on her past, she feels fortunate to be surrounded by loved ones and is grateful for the medical advancements that have helped her along the way. "I’ll probably keep going for a few years yet," she says with a smile. “It’s tough to slow down for me so taking part in the Big Heart Appeal is a great way to raise awareness of heart disease in the community, and I’ll keep doing that for as long as possible!”