Birkenhead hole-in-heart woman reaches 40th birthday

Aug 6 2008 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

A BIRKENHEAD woman born with two holes in her heart has beaten four life expectancies handed down by doctors to celebrate her 40th birthday.

Gaynor Gillison was joined by her family for a special party last Saturday, to mark an anniversary none of them thought she would see.

When she was born, her condition was so serious Gaynor’s parents were told she would be unlikely to make it past six-years-old.

Specialist treatment in Bordeaux prolonged her life when a child, and since then she has been told she would not see first 16, then 26 and finally 36.

But Gaynor has now outlived the doctor who operated on her in France.

The proud 40-year-old told the News: “I was made up when I got to 36, and then I went really ill again two years ago and thought I was a goner.

“Last March, the doctor said I might not be around for my 40th.

“I’m just really made up that I made that milestone. I never thought I would last year.”

Gaynor lives alone and lists listening to music and playing with her cat as her two favourite pastimes.

She shuns any offer of home-help, preferring to keep herself busy while she can.

And it’s her desire for activity which doctors now believe is the secret of her longevity.

Gaynor said: “The specialist is proud of me and actually said that normally they tell children like me to be careful.

“But now, because of what I’ve done, they’re going to tell them all to exercise because there’s a woman out there who is 40 and exercises.”

The only chance of recovery from her condition is a heart and lung transplant, but Gaynor doesn’t want to go down that route.

She said: “It’s very scary, I can’t plan for the future or anything so it does get you down.

“I do feel a little bit of release for getting to 40.

“I just want to get to 50 now - I don’t know if I can.

“It’s very hard and the best people don’t know whether it’s going to happen.”

The family went to Chester Races to celebrate the milestone, and the first time Gaynor has lived without a medically estimated limit.

She added: “The doctors said they are not going to give me one any more because I keep outliving them.”