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As a parent, all you really want is for your child to be happy and healthy. You do all you can to give them the best start in life, so that they can grow up, spread their wings and live a long and rewarding life.

You don’t expect to give them a silent killer that could cut them down in the prime of their life.

I was devastated to find out that I had passed on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) to my beautiful boy Burke. FH is the most common and serious cause of inherited high cholesterol which can cause premature heart disease and early heart attacks. 

But what brings me comfort is knowing that thanks to kind-hearted people like you, and your support for Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, Burke will receive the very best care at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH).

Burke is only 10-years-old and there are no outward signs that he has any problem. He’s mad keen on sports and if there’s a ball around, he’ll be playing with it. You would never know he has such a serious condition which could reduce his lifespan by up to 20 years.

When I got the phone call confirming the diagnosis it was heartbreaking, knowing that I had passed on a condition that could potentially shorten his life. Burke’s first reaction was to burst into tears and say, “I don’t want to die.” In that moment, all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and say, “it will all be ok.” And I know that it will be because premature heart disease and early heart attacks are entirely preventable if FH is picked up and treated early.

But thousands of other Western Australian children are walking around with this same ticking time bomb yet are completely unaware. A screening program funded by Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation is helping find WA kids who don’t yet know they have this silent killer; it’s one of several projects supporting kids with heart problems. Your generous gift today to Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation will help other children like Burke with heart-related issues.

I was shocked to learn that three children are born with FH in WA every week but without testing there is no way of knowing if they have this condition, which is passed down through the generations.

In my own family, several family members have been diagnosed. My dad, my Aunty Jenny, myself and now my son. Fortunately, my other child, Daisy, doesn’t have it.

We’d always suspected there were heart issues running in the family. My nana had a major coronary event at 46 and her brother died at just 42. My dad always had high cholesterol despite being meticulous with his health and fitness. With FH, high cholesterol can’t be reduced by diet and exercise alone. Medication is needed. With no clear warning signs and without any monitoring of the disease, often the first sign is when someone ends up in a coronary care unit or there’s a tragic loss. Diagnosing FH early means treatment can begin before high levels of cholesterol cause plaque to build up and block arteries.

It’s a relief to know that Burke and I still have every opportunity to live long and full lives. But I worry about those people who don’t know they have FH. 1 in 250 Australians are affected - that’s 10,000 people in WA alone, including 2,000 children. 

With support from people like you, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation is helping doctors identify WA kids with FH.  Once a person is diagnosed with FH, what’s called genetic cascade screening can help identify other family members with FH, including children, helping prevent tragic outcomes from what is a treatable condition.

For Burke, monitoring and managing his condition at PCH means he can live his life like any other 10-year-old and continue to enjoy all the sports that he loves.

You can help other children like Burke with heart-related conditions. Please donate to Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation today to support world-class care for children with heart conditions. 

P.S You can really make a difference by making a gift from the heart today.