27/1/26 – Read the full article here

A woman who had a mechanical valve fitted due to heart failure says screening at a younger age could have “changed the whole trajectory” of her life.

Megan Hetherington, 28, from Belton, North Lincolnshire, had five strokes, a heart attack and three open-heart surgeries within four years.

After enduring what she described as a “terrifying” experience, she has joined others affected by heart failure to call for compulsory screening for young people.

At present, there is no government-funded national screening programme for conditions associated with sudden cardiac death, but the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said this was under review.

Megan said she experienced chest pains and breathlessness throughout her childhood, but was initially diagnosed with asthma.