Broadcaster Emma Willis has revealed she was "floored" by the diagnosis of a hole in her heart last year.
The 49-year-old, who recently met another mother with the same condition, unknowingly lived with the defect for 48 years until a routine health check last January.
Medics identified an enlarged heart and an atrial septal defect – a hole between the heart’s collecting chambers – confirming it was a congenital condition.
It was successfully closed during a keyhole operation at London’s Royal Brompton Hospital two months after diagnosis.
The experience has led her to champion a new campaign for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Willis’s advocacy for the BHF campaign, aimed at raising awareness of heart conditions, coincides with her taking over Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio 2 Saturday lunchtime slot this weekend, a role she admitted to being "nervous" about.
Willis said: “The last thing I expected my cardiologist to say was that it was a congenital heart condition. I was floored as I had gone 48 years oblivious, not knowing anything was wrong.
“It was a bolt out of the blue, and I had a million questions going through my head.
“The mental shift was the biggest challenge, because when you hear those words, it terrifies you.
“My perspective on life shifted. From diagnosis to surgery was the most present I have been in my life.
“I’m hoping that sharing my story will help others going through something like this.”
As part of the BHF campaign, Willis met Aimee Nicholls, who has a hole in the heart, and Mrs Nicholls’ son Leo, eight, who also has congenital heart disease.
She also chatted to Michelle White, a mother of three who has undergone 13 different types of heart procedures.
The BHF is unveiling 65 red benches – one for each year the charity has been established – across the UK in tribute to those living with cardiovascular disease.
Each bench carries the name of a survivor plus a short message about them and what they enjoy.
Mrs Nicholls was born with a hole in her heart and underwent a keyhole procedure when she was four.
A 20-week scan then picked up that her son Leo would also be born with a hole in his heart.
When he was born in November 2017, Mrs Nicholls and her husband Alex were told their son had several heart defects and would need open heart surgery aged at just a week old.
“When we were told about Leo’s conditions, our world collapsed,” said Mrs Nicholls, 32, from Bristol.
“We’d gone from being told he had a minor heart defect that wouldn’t require surgery and would rectify itself, to being told that without open heart surgery he wouldn’t survive. We just broke down and couldn’t process it at all.”
After a successful operation, Leo was discharged from hospital two days before Christmas, although he might need further surgery.
Mrs White, 48, from Manchester, suffers from a faulty heart valve.
Her heart became enlarged and she had two open-heart operations to repair the valve.
As a result, she developed several abnormal heart rhythms and had a pacemaker fitted. She has also suffered several strokes but she has now been told her heart is functioning well due to treatment.
She said: “I won’t let fear define me. I’m taking things step by step, staying positive, and I feel I’m at a new chapter where I can focus on what truly matters most.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF, urged people to donate towards lifesaving research, adding: “We’re incredibly grateful to Emma, Aimee, Leo and Michelle for openly sharing their experiences of living with heart conditions.
“Their stories send a powerful message that cardiovascular disease can affect anyone, and that it’s OK to talk about your heart health.
“Our 65 iconic red BHF benches are creating spaces that celebrate real-life survivors and allow people to talk about their experiences, changing perceptions and inspiring support for research that saves and improves even more lives.”
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