It might be approaching seven years ago now, but for Laverton’s Clare Delaney, memories of the night her father Anthony died remain as raw and as vivid as they were back in November 2018.
“My father was coming home. He worked nightshift and he was complaining earlier that day that he felt unwell,” she recalled of the events leading up to Anthony Delaney – a 59 year old rail worker – suffering a fatal heart attack at his family’s Kyneton home.
“Both my mother and I were in the room,” said Ms Delaney of the moment it happened.
“That night was not a fun night.”
Today, Clare Delaney has a family of her own, living in Laverton with her partner and young daughter.
Her father’s life being cruelly cut short has inspired her to help ensure other families, including her own, don’t suffer a similar fate.
“After the death of my father it spurred me to check my own health out,” she said.
“I have regular tests with my own GP, I changed my diet and became more health conscious. I run and I cycle, but the big thing is that I advocate for heart health and for everyone to get checked.”
For Ms Delaney, that campaigning usually occurs in February – Heart Research Australia’s heart awareness month – and in November, coinciding with the anniversary of her father’s death.
But with heart disease being Australia’s biggest killer, she said spreading the heart health message was a year round endeavour.
“I think it’s a common misconception that heart health is only important for older people,” Ms Delaney said.
“Research suggests it can affect everyone. Every ten minutes someone suffers a heart attack and two in three people will die.”
To learn more about Heart Research Australia, visit: www.heartresearch.com.au.
Cade Lucas
