I lost my beautiful mum, Judy, suddenly and unexpectedly, at just 57 years old.

She died from undiagnosed ischaemic heart disease — the UK’s number one killer.

She had been seeking medical help for years, raising concerns about symptoms that were never properly investigated. Despite experiencing:

• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Shoulder and back pain
• Swelling in her feet
• Nausea and vomiting
• Heart palpitations

…she was continually misdiagnosed, reassured, and sent away. She was never offered a heart health check.

Then, without warning, she was gone.

She was a strong, vibrant, and deeply loving presence in our lives — my best friend, and the heart of our family. Her death has shattered us, and we are still reeling from the suddenness of it all. But from this grief, I feel a powerful need to act.

I’m calling on the UK Government and NHS to introduce free, mandatory heart health checks for all adults aged 50 and over — with a specific focus on women’s symptoms, which are too often overlooked.

Heart disease is too often mistaken in women for anxiety, menopause, or stress. We must stop treating these cases as “rare” or “unusual” — they are not. Women’s heart health is routinely under-checked, and this gap in care is costing lives.

This campaign is called For Mum, For All — because this is about more than my mum. It’s about protecting every family from the heartbreak of a preventable loss.

• In England, adults aged 40 to 74 may be invited for a free NHS Health Check every 5 years.
• But it’s not mandatory, not automatically booked, and many people never receive one
• There’s no system in place to make sure everyone actually gets one — especially after 50 when risks increase.

Please sign and share this petition if you believe no more lives should be lost like Judy’s.

Let’s make heart health checks standard. For Mum. For All.

🫀 In loving memory of Judy, age 57.