I first met my husband when he was waiting for a heart bypass. Since then he has had pacemakers, defibrillator and ablations, you name it, and now a LVAD (Left Ventricle Assist Device), and he is currently waiting for a heart transplant.

A couple of years ago I desperately needed someone to talk to, someone who wasn’t my parents or friends, as I felt guilty talking yet again about my husband. When I enquired into any kind of support groups for carers, I was surprised to find there were no groups in Leeds specifically for carers of people with heart conditions.

It seemed all the support was geared towards the patients. It’s us carers that sit everyday watching and listening to their partner waiting for any slight change, or the worrying words ‘Oh I don’t feel right well…’

At times you can feel very isolated caring for someone with a heart condition, but I’ve realised that there are other people going through very similar experiences.

So I took it upon myself, with support from Carers Leeds, to set up a support group, a place where people can sit down and chat over a coffee – without feeling guilty! The drop-in coffee mornings are open to anyone who supports someone with a heart condition and are run approximately every 3 months at Carers Leeds. Please drop-in for a coffee and a chat with other carers, let’s share ideas and support each other. I look forward to meeting you all!