Tesco worker who had heart attack aged 29 thanks British Heart Foundation
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A WOMAN celebrating 10 years of living life to the full after suffering a heart attack at the age of 29 has donated £2187 as a thank you to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Kerry Henderson was joined by family, friends and work colleagues in walking 52 miles in four day to raise the money.
And Kerry (39) has just bagged her first two munros as she continues to seek out new adventures.
Kerry, from Keith, came close to death after a blockage in her main artery saw her blue-lighted by ambulance to hospital in Aberdeen.
She underwent emergency surgery and was fitted with a stent.
She was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) two years later.
Kerry said: "I call it my jump-starter."
The ICD will send an electrical pulse if Kerry's heart goes into an abnormal rhythm.
She added: "I have it for life and need to get the batteries changed, which last for 10 to 12 years. I have had mine for eight years and get it checked every year."
Kerry had been with a friend in a hairdressing salon in Elgin when she started having her heart attack – but she didn't realise what it was initially.
"I felt like I was hungry and started to get a sick feeling."
"My friend was getting her hair done as we were due to go and see a psychic that evening.
"It was a strange feeling. I felt like I was going to be sick and had a weird feeling down the back of my neck."
Kerry was driven home to Keith – she was still living at home with her parents at the time – and she went to her bed to try and sleep.
"I started to get short of breath. I couldn't shout on my mum so I banged on the floor."
Her mum phoned for an ambulance and Kerry admitted the rest was a bit blurry.
She spent nine days in hospital and when she got out, Kerry, who had a young son at the time, resolved to make some changes.
"I lost three stones when I went to Slimming World," she said, "and stopped smoking."
Kerry, who has worked for Tesco in Keith for 21 years, is married to husband Grant and son Callum Hogg is now 11.
Kerry says she is more fit and healthy now than she has ever been.
She planned a 52-mile walking challenge to mark her 10 year anniversary and raise some money for BHF.
Family, friends and store colleagues joined her on different parts of the walk over four days which took in Keith to Buckie; Buckie to Fochabers, Fochabers to Craigellachie and finally Craigellachie back to Keith.
Her dad Colin Duncan did every day with her, as did a number of Tesco colleagues.
Community champion Fiona Addison and Grant kept the walkers supplied with sandwiches and drinks. Kerry's mum Elizabeth, who also works in Tesco, was part of the support team.
Kerry's next challenge saw her climb her first two munros recently with friend Lisa Morrison, as they bagged Cairngorm and Ben Macdui in the same day, the latter being the second highest in Scotland.
She is determined to live life to the full, and climb a few more munros.
Kerry thanked all her family, friends, work colleagues and customers for their support during the fundraising.
