Rui Soares raises Myocarditis awareness

Rui Soares, a professional Squash player ranked 53 in the world, is partnering with Myocarditis UK to help raise awareness and boost much-needed fundraising activity for the charity. Playing international competitions since 2011, Rui has won 10 Portuguese National Champion titles, represented the national team 30+ times and has been a parallel Squash coach for 9+ years.

Like many people Rui did not know about the heart condition until he came across the charity Myocarditis UK last year, when he realised that he may have witnessed a case of myocarditis. 10 years ago, his good friend Harry Faulkner passed away on the Squash court at the tender age of 18. Like Rui, Harry was a dedicated young athlete, incredibly fit, and was a professional Squash player. During a league match, Harry suddenly doubled over and within a few seconds collapsed. Harry’s death that day was a surprise and shock to many, and for Rui this event was overwhelming. Despite being young and incredibly fit, Harry had a sudden heart attack, and his death was ruled as Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) – an umbrella term used when someone suddenly and unexpectedly dies from cardiac arrest, with no apparent cause found.

Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS)

1 in 5 cases of SADS is caused by myocarditis, which becomes particularly dangerous when the heart is regularly put under stress. Professional athletes and aspiring professionals typically push their bodies to the limit, even when their body is already under stress. If an athlete is unwell with a common cold, for example, it is considered ‘normal’ to continue to train at an intense level placing them at greater risk of serious illness. Myocarditis causes inflammation of the heart muscle and strains the heart, so athletes who regularly push themselves risk pushing the strained heart to failure. After witnessing the traumatic impact of Myocarditis on his friend and fellow athlete, Rui made it his personal mission to support the charity Myocarditis UK to help raise awareness of the heart condition, especially amongst athletes and people involved in sport.

To find out more about Myocarditis UK and how you can help please visit the charity’s website at https://myocarditisuk.com

WHAT IS MYOCARDITIS?

Myocarditis means inflammation of the heart muscle. In the United Kingdom, one young person dies suddenly each week due to undiagnosed myocarditis. It can affect anyone at any age and is usually related to recent viral infection. The virus may have gone but the immune system over-reacts causing inflammation that can persist in the heart. Other causes include bacterial infections, certain medications, toxins, and autoimmune disorders. Symptoms are diverse and include chest pain, mimicking a heart attack, difficulty breathing due to weakened heart muscle, palpitation due to electrical rhythm disturbances, fever, and abnormal fatigue.

ABOUT MYOCARDITIS UK

Myocarditis UK (formally The Alexander Jansons Fund) was set up after the death of Alexander Jansons from Myocarditis in July 2013, at the age of 18. With little to no information provided on this inflammatory condition affecting the heart, the charity was founded to research the causes, prevention, and cures for Myocarditis. Today the charity has raised over £1,000,000 towards research and to generate greater awareness about this often-hidden condition.

To learn more or donate please visit www.myocarditisuk.com