TV star Claire shares tragic loss of baby
Claire Holt THE Vampire Diaries star Claire Holt has taken to social media to share the sad news that she has suffered a miscarriage.
The Australian TV star was expecting a baby with fiance Andrew Joblon but sadly lost her child last month.
Taking to Instagram on Monday the 29-year-old urged others who go through a similar loss not to stay silent and told fans speaking out was helping her to heal her pain.
Sharing a photograph of herself in hospital, she wrote: “I took this photo 10 days ago, as I waited for surgery after my sweet little baby lost its heartbeat.
“I sent it to my fiance in the waiting room to show him that I was OK. I wasn’t.”
With Dr Angie Brown and Karen Tomkins of Novartis
Swollen ankles, fatigue and shortness of breath are the main signs to look out for, the Irish Heart Foundation has warned.
An estimated 90,000 people live with the disease in Ireland.
Speaking at the Pay Attention To The Signs campaign launch yesterday, Sunday Game presenter Michael Lyster told of his own experience with the illness.
He said: “Looking back now the warning signs of heart failure were clearly there but I didn’t realise what was coming down the road. I was ignoring a lot of things that were happening to me, and that was a mistake.
“I was constantly tired, my ankles were swollen and I would wake up at night panting for breath. Eventually, it got to a stage where I couldn’t ignore it any longer.”
The foundation warned Ireland’s ageing population means heart failure is set to increase dramatically leading to an increase in hospitalisations from the disease of more than 50% over the next 25 years.
ON HIS HEART DISEASE SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS
The charity’s medical director Dr Angie Brown said: “When we see warning signs on the road we pay attention. But when it’s our own body sometimes we can ignore the signs.
“Heart failure can often go unnoticed because its symptoms come on gradually. It’s easy to attribute tiredness to a busy lifestyle and breathlessness to being out of shape.
“These are signs we need to watch out for. If you are concerned contact the Irish Heart Foundation’s nurse helpline on 1800 252550 or visit Knowyourheart.ie.”
The foundation hopes its campaign will encourage those aged 50 and over to be aware of the symptoms as early detection can significantly improve the prognosis.
Heart failure is a life-threatening condition in which it can’t pump enough blood around the body as its walls become too weak or too stiff to work properly.
However, with access to timely diagnosis, appropriate medical management and follow-up services, a patient’s prognosis can be significantly improved.
A number of public meetings are being held in upcoming weeks for those concerned about having heart failure.
Venues include Dublin’s Ashling Hotel on April 12 at 6.30pm and the Woodlands Hotel in Waterford on April 19 at 6.30pm.
I was tired, my ankles were swollen and I’d wake up panting for breath MICHAEL LYSTER