“You can be the picture of health, but still have this underlying issue.”

*Bobbi Ann (right) in action during a kickboxing training session.*

When she was about 14, Bobbi Ann Brady was diagnosed with a heart murmur — a sign that a valve in her heart was not functioning properly. Fortunately, the diagnosis didn’t slow down Bobbi Ann, who played hockey, basketball and more. In fact, she barely thought about it.

Fast forward more than 10 years, to the birth of Bobbi Ann’s first child. Her newborn daughter, Addison, was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Suddenly, a health issue she’d been living with was threatening her baby.

Bobbi Ann, now 49, is an independent MPP representing Ontario’s Haldimand-Norfolk riding. She shared her story with Heart Valve Voice Canada.

How was your heart murmur detected?

I played hockey from the time I was six and I still play today. But it wasn't until I started puberty that I noticed a weird sensation occasionally. It felt like something in my chest was sticking, making me sluggish; then all of a sudden it would let go and I would get a burst of energy. My heart would race a little bit, like it was trying to catch up.

So, there was an appointment made with the family GP. They ran some tests and discovered that I had a heart murmur.

Before that, what did you know about heart valve disease?

I knew as a child that many relatives on both sides of my family had passed away from heart disease. So, I knew that you had to pay attention to your what your ticker was telling you. But I didn't know about heart murmurs or valve disease.

How did you manage your condition?

Basically, they said my body would tell me what I could and could not do, and just to monitor for any changes. There were times — playing hockey, for example — when I needed to take a break, and I did that.

The doctor told my parents that at some point in my life, I might need surgery. But we never really worried about it.

Once every year or year and a half, I would go in for a checkup — and I still do this. I wear a Holter monitor for a few days (to check for irregular heart rhythm) and they do blood work and an echocardiogram, plus other tests.

They always say, “Hey, you know what? You're in amazing shape. See you later!”

What happened when your daughter was born?

In Addison’s first few days, the doctor did a stethoscope check and detected a murmur. Eventually they told us she had a bicuspid aortic valve . I believe that is the same thing I have.

I was shocked. When you have a health issue of your own, you know how you’re feeling, and you can say, I'm fine. But all of a sudden, they're telling you that there's something wrong with your baby. And that’s when things really hit me.

I was not given any special direction on caring for her. But if Addison slept longer or if she was more tired than usual, I would kind of panic. With a baby, there were so many unknowns.

How has the heart valve issue affected your daughter’s life?

Addison is 23 now and, ironically, she has always been the healthier of my two kids, even though my son, age 19, is an elite athlete. He does not have a heart murmur.

I do worry about her long-term health. Now that she’s studying nursing, I encouraged her to pay attention to her heart murmur and be aware of changes.

What do you wish you had known about heart murmurs earlier?

I wish they had told me more about what a heart murmur is, and what problems it can present down the road. I wish they had spent a little more time explaining exactly what it meant, and the fact that I could pass it down to my children.

What do you want other people to know about heart valve disease?

You can be a picture of health, but still have this underlying issue that you need to monitor.

I play hockey; I'm about to test for my black belt in karate, and I have competed on the world stage in kickboxing. People would say, “What do you mean, you’ve got a heart valve defect?” They would not believe it.

That’s why it’s important for everyone to get a stethoscope check.

In my work as an MPP, I attended committee hearings on Ontario Bill 66, the Heart Valve Disease Awareness Act. That made me even more determined to help raise awareness of valve disease and especially the importance getting a stethoscope check. I’ve told both my kids to insist on that every time they go to the doctor.

If we could just take that 30 seconds, and test everyone with that stethoscope, how important could that be?