Rebecca Breslin

Rebecca is a Clinical Data Manager living in Derbyshire. In March 2012, age 34, Becks suffered a heart attack caused by SCAD. She had none of the traditional risk factors associated with heart attacks and despite working on numerous cardiovascular medical trials during her research career, she had never heard of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. Becks soon realised that her doctors were unable to answer her many questions as very little was known about SCAD. And so her quest for answers began.

Like many SCAD survivors, Becks was told that SCAD was rare and she would probably never meet another survivor but she found this hard to believe and set about searching. After finding other patients in the UK, Ireland and globally via social media, Becks contacted her cardiologist in 2013 to demand a UK research project. Dr David Adlam (University of Leicester; Glenfield Hospital) agreed and worked with Becks and the patient group to launch the project in 2014.

Becks served as a board member of the US non-profit organisation SCAD Research, Inc. for 18 months (2013-2015) which inspired her to establish a UK charity to continue the much needed efforts to raise awareness, support people affected by SCAD, and to support the newly established UK research.

Becks also served as a member of a Patient Advisory Group at the National Institute for Health Research Rare Diseases Translation Research Collaboration (NIHR RD-TRC) where she represented the cardiovascular theme (2015-2017).

Away from full-time work and SCAD-related volunteering, Becks is kept busy by her two whippets who help to keep her active as well as relaxed as they love a lazy sofa day watching a film or catching up on a box set!