Accessible and free emotional support for heart patients: Helping heart patients live well

In 2009, Gini Dellow was diagnosed with autonomic dysfunction and PoTS, after a 30-year struggle to get a diagnosis. The impact of this left prone to dizziness, fatigue and blackouts and she was unable to do many simple things that many of us take for granted. Later, she was also diagnosed with atrial fibrillation which compounded her symptoms.

“For years,” she says, “I was misdiagnosed. It’s fairly common with this condition but I had to fight off these mistaken diagnosis to be taken seriously. It cost me my marriage and my home but thankfully in 2009, I met a cardiologist who put in the spade work and finally found out what the problem was. That was the beginning of a whole new normal for me but in a good way.”

The biggest problem Gini identified, aside the lack of diagnosis during her 30-year struggle but also post diagnosis, was the lack of emotional support. “It does take a toll on you” she said. “Many people, with heart conditions, report that the stress, anxiety and depression really has a consequence for your quality of life and I certainly would echo that. But there really is no significant help for that at all”.

As a result, Gini met with her cardiologist and they set up a heart support group in 2014 which went on to win an award and provide a much needed support for people until she moved and the cardiologist semi-retired in 2021.

“I felt I needed to channel my struggles for the better good and was proud of what we achieved moreover when we heard from people with heart conditions say what a positive difference it had made to them” Gini says.

Not only did she set the group up, she used her passion and motivation to understand more. She graduated with a degree in Psychology in 2018 and later was awarded a distinction in her master’s degree in Health Psychology. Unsurprisingly her main focus has remained improving outcomes for heart patients and now at doctoral level she is particularly focussing at developing interventions to help people with atrial fibrillation.

Nevertheless, the voice in the heart community is still ringing loud and clear and possibly even louder post pandemic. There is simply not enough, if any, emotional support out there for people with heart conditions to cope with the stress, anxiety, depression, and emotional fallout of cardiac events. To this end, Gini has now launched The Heart Coach to offer an accessible service to start to plug that gap.

“I work full time so I can afford to offer courses free on the back of my own company, Arbor Vitae,” she said. “People don’t need to be finding money, particularly at this time with the cost of living squeeze and especially when they are struggling enough with their conditions. Plus we all know how poorly funded mental health support is in this country and the papers are full of the wait-times, so for me, it’s time to give back. I have the skills to offer some help which will compliment the work that healthcare professionals are doing so I’m happy to do my little bit.”

In a nutshell, the heart coach will offer specialist support to people with heart conditions who are looking for help to improve their quality of life through psychological, emotional, informative and social support. Based in empowering people, through short courses, workshops and 1:2:1 coaching, it will offer confidential emotional support, signposting to reliable information and help to navigate benefits and entitlements.

The first course is set to start on Tuesday 7th March at 7 pm online.

“It’s a no-brainer” says Gini. “A free reliable course that will help people access the resources they need to live getter, get the support they need and take back control. No strings attached”.

Anyone wanting more information can email [email protected].