Harrogate resident's pledge to help give people the best chance to live well with heart failure

Local resident Mary Mann has started holding meet and chat sessions on behalf of Pumping Marvellous Foundation with the aim of giving hope to heart failure sufferers and their families.

It's a condition which has a relatively low profile but is no less serious for all that.

PMF is a Preston-based charity which seeks to give as many people as possible the best chance to live well with heart failure.

By raising the profile of the condition, the charity hopes to be able to drive continuing improvements in the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with Heart Failure.

To that end, Mary Mann organised a PMF meeting last month at the Chocolate Factory Café on East Parade in Harrogate.

"PMF have regional volunteers, called Patient Educators, who are very friendly and supportive and promote the charity, locally," said Mary.

"I decided to get involved after my own heart failure.

"It was reading about other people's experiences that I realised how very frightened and lonely a lot of people are.

"Which is why I've started the meet and chat group on a Friday afternoon once a month.

"We all enjoyed sharing tales at the first event, realising we weren’t alone and that life can and does return to normal.”

The next PMF meet and chat in Harrogate will take place at the same location on Friday, May 26 from 2pm to 4pm.

More information at: www.facebook.com/pumpingmarvellous