Dad was my age when he died... his death was a wake-up call for me to look after myself
Actress Siobhan Redmond backs heart campaign
SCOTS actress Siobhan Redmond has spoken out about the agony of losing her father to heart disease at the age of just 59 – and urged others not to take their health for granted.
The star of countless TV comedies and dramas is the latest celebrity to back a massive campaign aimed at tackling Scotland’s biggest killer.
With the support of the Scottish Mail on Sunday, Heart Research UK is raising funds to fight the disease, which claims around 41 lives every day.
As well as raising money for vital research, the Heart of Scotland campaign – the biggest fundraising drive of its kind – aims to advise Scots on how to improve their health and safeguard their hearts from what is often a silent killer.
Around 700,000 Scots are living with some form of heart or cardiovascular disease, and it accounts for 26 per cent of all deaths north of the Border – double the rate for other parts of the UK.
Dozens of Scots celebrities, sports stars and politicians have already given their backing to the campaign, including singer Amy Macdonald, author Val McDermid and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Fashion designer Christopher Kane has created a limited edition Heart of Scotland charity T-shirt.
Ms Redmond – well known for roles in Holby City, East Enders and The Bill and for her Shakespeare performances at theatres around the country – has revealed how her father, like many men of his generation, shied away from doctors.
Desperate not to share the same fate, she has regular testing and recently underwent treatment for an irregular heartbeat.
Originally from the Tollcross area of Glasgow, the actress is now 59 – the same age at which her father John Redmond died.
She said: ‘All Glaswegians know someone who has died of heart disease apparently out of the blue.
‘I hope this campaign will help encourage Scots to try to look after their hearts or at least think about what we expect them to cope with.
‘Like many Scots, I lost my dad as a result of heart disease. He died at 59, the age I am now, of a massive heart attack. He laughed at the very idea of checking in with medical professionals – there had been a great deal of illness in my immediate family and he’d had enough of spending time in surgeries.
‘More than that, because he knew he lived dangerously, he didn’t want to have conversations about his choices.
‘But there were books he hadn’t yet read and stories to tell and jokes he would have liked to make again, and I hate to think that there might have been more fun to be had if he had just got himself checked out.’
Ms Redmond said the loss of her father had persuaded her to take greater care of her health. She explained: ‘Recently I’ve had treatment for my irregular heartbeat.
‘It had begun to be a nuisance and I am profoundly grateful to live in a time and place where it’s possible to have keyhole surgery on your heart as a day procedure. No more disco pulse for me and I really don’t miss the drama.’
Encouraging anyone with a family history of heart disease to get checked out, she said: ‘Pluck up the courage to have the conversation. If you’re worried about your heart, or about someone else’s, speak up. It won’t kill you but the alternative might.
‘Nobody really likes being told they have to modify their excesses or to move more, but it’s worth it.’
Ms Redmond added: ‘None of us can outwit nature but there are obvious things we can do to try to ensure our quality of life is as high as we can make it for as long as possible, and I do all of those.
‘I enjoy everything in moderation – except cigarettes, which I gave up long ago using hypnotherapy. I keep moving because I’ve found a kind of exercise that I like doing.
‘My genetic inheritance means I’m aware of the need to look after my heart. There is support and a wealth of information available – take advantage of all resources.’
‘Encourage Scots to look after their hearts’