Miranda's story of Cardiomyopathy

I had become lethargic, could barely walk along a flat path before needing to stop to rest, and was extremely breathless to the point of feeling sick. I was carrying litres of fluid in my legs, all the way up to my lower back and waking up during the night gasping for air as fluid filled my lungs.

I was finally admitted to hospital after my mother took me to the GP.

I went on a myriad of medications and for a long time that drug therapy worked well, I worked full time and refused to let my diagnosis stop me from living a ‘normal’ life.

It wasn’t until I wanted to have a baby that I realised how much my life was affected. I was told a pregnancy would likely kill me... it was heart-breaking. All I wanted was a baby.

When I was first diagnosed, my sister in law had offered to carry my baby... after birthing two children of her own, that offer hadn’t changed!

In January 2013, we began our surrogacy journey, but I soon found out my egg supply was low and there was a 50% chance I would pass my heart condition onto my unborn child. I did not want this at all. I couldn’t deal with the thought of my child going through this horrendous disease too, so I found an egg donor.

In June 2014, I found out I was going to be a mum! It was the best news ever, I was thrilled.

In early December, I held a baby shower for my unborn baby boy and the next day, at an appointment at St Vincent’s hospital, I was told I needed a heart transplant...

My initial reaction was “No!” How could I go through this when I was just getting ready to become a mum? I didn’t have time for a heart transplant.

My miracle baby boy was born in early February 2015, after a textbook labour.

I blocked out my pressing need for a transplant and I didn’t want to think about all that was ahead of me. Eventually, my mum and the doctors made me I had to do it or I wouldn’t survive. I began all the blood and tissue tests, a skin check, a dental appointment and a bone scan among many other tests. During my right heart catheter, I had a respiratory arrest and I was sent to ICU immediately.

That week in July, I was listed for a heart transplant and just four weeks and four days later, on a Sunday morning, the call came.

My transplant was a success, the operation was just over three hours long and I woke up that same evening, with pink toes instead of the usual blue ones! I spent 30 days in hospital including my 33^rd birthday – I was lucky I had a good recovery.