A Motherwell nurse, who lost her dad to heart disease, is lacing up her trainers and taking on the London Marathon in his memory.
Mary Speirs, 49, is running the event to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Her dad Bert Cusack suffered many years of ill-health caused by heart failure and died at the age of 61, when Mary was just 26-years-old.
Mary, who spent 20 years as a nurse at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie and is now a senior clinical director for a healthcare company, said: “I cannot remember life with my dad before he suffered from heart disease.
“He had angina, multiple heart attacks, underwent triple bypass surgery and had many hospital admissions over the years. He was housebound with poor mobility for many of his latter years.
“And yet, despite this he was a happy, contented man who never complained. Even in the most difficult times, if anyone asked him how he was feeling, his answer was always ‘I’m as fit as a fiddle’!
“And so, as I approach my 50th birthday, I thought what better way to mark it than to take on a challenge I had never done before – the London Marathon - and to do it for my dad and the BHF.”
Heart failure is a chronic condition that worsens over time and for which there is currently no cure.
Around 48,000 people in Scotland have been diagnosed with heart failure by their GP but it is estimated there are thousands more living with the condition across the country.
And Mary’s decision to take part this year is even more poignant, given that at the TCS London Marathon, Team BHF runners will be helping to fund cutting-edge research into regenerative medicine.
The BHF has identified nine regenerative medicine research projects, including one in Edinburgh and one in Aberdeen, to benefit from the money raised at this year’s London Marathon.
These projects aim to find ways to regrow, repair and replace damaged heart muscle and blood vessels - and could one day find a desperately needed cure for heart failure.
Mary, who is the youngest of five children, says her dad faced his life with heart failure positively, always putting his wife and family first.
“Now I realise what he must have suffered, I also realise how much he protected us from,” said Mary.
“Always smiling, always positive, always content. As a nurse, I have seen first-hand the effects of heart disease on patients and their families but I have also seen how research and innovation has progressed and developed over these years.
“We are achieving so much more now than when my dad was alive but I also know there is so much more to do to help prevent more families suffering loss and more patients living with poor quality of life.
“Training for and running a marathon is tough but it is nowhere near as challenging as living with heart disease. Dedicating the miles to my dad and those much-loved people and knowing I have raised money for the BHF, a much needed charity, will hopefully get me through on the day.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We never fail to be inspired by the incredible stories of our supporters, and Mary is no exception.
“Every single step our runners take will power science with the potential to heal damaged hearts. We’re extremely grateful for Mary’s support and can’t wait to cheer her over the finish line.”
Donations to Mary’s fundraising page can be made here
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