Death brought the message
HEART disease ripped away Natalie Barr’s beloved father on a day of horror – a very personal reason for her supporting demands for life-saving Medicare-funded heart health checks.
“I was at home after reading the late news when I got a call that my dad died,” the Sunrise newsreader says through tears. “It was the worst day of my life.”
Barr was six months pregnant at the time and began to unravel the moment she heard.
“My father Jim had died of left ventricular failure, according to the report,” she said. “You never forget those things. He’s been gone 18 years and I still get upset.”
Heart disease affects many people. It’s a chronic condition – that means it’s long-term.
An Australian has a heart attack every 10 minutes; 51 die of heart disease each day.
Barr, who turned 50 last year, knew her dad was a heavy smoker, but his death still came as a shock. “We tried to make him stop. I tried to make him stop. It was my one regret.”
The pain of his loss is still apparent when the Seven Network veteran talks about what a role model he was.
“He came with me to the ultrasound of my first son, Lachlan, and had never been to one before,” she said.
“He took the photo with him and showed his mates at the golf club, telling them ‘That’s my grandson’.”
Barr’s father returned home after golf one day, complained of heartburn and died that day. “It was the last thing I ever expected,” she said.
“I stayed up all night with my husband Andrew and booked a ticket to Perth. We then drove to my hometown of Bunbury, planned a funeral and buried my dad.”
Barr says her father’s death made her aware of the importance of looking after her own health.
“I’ve had all the checks,” she said. “We need to keep healthy at all ages to prevent heart disease.”
Getting behind the News Regional Media and Heart Foundation call for Medicare-funded heart health checks, Barr urges us to do the same and a lot more to protect our tickers.
“Anything that raises awareness for heart health is wonderful,” she said. “It will give people an excuse to see their doctor. We should have been doing it for years – we need to get people to talk about their hearts.”
Professor Garry Jennings, cardiologist and chief medical advisor at the Heart Foundation, says knowing all your risk factors is key to protecting yourself from heart disease.
“Most Australians would probably know that if they smoke, they are at higher risk,” he said. “However, others are not so obvious, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The best way to find out about your risks is by having a heart health check with your GP.”
Natalie Barr is the news reader on Sunrise, 5.30am weekdays on Channel Seven.