A mother-of-three died from an undiagnosed heart condition just five weeks after giving birth, prompting her family to issue a warning to others to pay attention to their health.
Cathy MacGuinness, 40, was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney on Easter Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest at home. She spent nearly three weeks in an induced coma before dying on the Saturday evening.
Ms MacGuinness unknowingly had dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the heart to enlarge and struggle to pump blood effectively. Her family believes that if she had been diagnosed and on medication, she would still be alive.
Her sister-in-law, Gillian Binchy-MacGuinness, told the Daily Mail: "What's so tragic is that Cathy's death could have been avoided. As a mum myself, we often put our families ahead of ourselves and our health by not listening to our bodies."
Symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy include fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, ankles or abdomen, palpitations, dizziness, chest pain and reduced exercise capacity. Ms MacGuinness had attributed her symptoms to being a busy mother.
Ms MacGuinness leaves behind her partner, Sebastian, and their three children: Zoe, seven, Rosie, three, and newborn Goldie. A GoFundMe page has raised over $150,000 (nearly £80,000) as the couple did not have life insurance.
