Kirsty Marchant from Narre Warren will continue to undergo tests at Casey Hospital after the official opening of a specialist cardiology service. Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Kelly Yates
A NARRE Warren girl can now spend more time at school and less time travelling to the Monash Medical Centre in Clayton after a specialist cardiology service opened this week at Casey Hospital.
Kirsty Marchant, who was diagnosed with vocal cord dysfunction which is an illness that forces the airway to close instead of open when inhaling, can continue to be tested by doctors close to her home without having to take at least half a day off school.
Her mother, Karen, told the News it could sometimes take the family 40 minutes to get to the hospital in Clayton.
“Now it’s just eight minutes down the road,” she said.
The 15-year-old daughter first started experiencing problems while playing netball at school.
“During the attacks she couldn’t breathe and her heart would beat really fast,” said Ms Marchant.
She asked doctors to investigate Kirsty’s condition, fearing her breathing problems may be related to an undiagnosed heart condition.
“Knowing that my brother and my father had heart conditions, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I didn’t have Kirsty checked out,” she said.
The Kambrya College student, who has now given up netball, will continue to undergo tests at the Kangan Drive hospital to determine if her condition is heart related.
Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews officially opened Southern Health’s Monash Heart at Casey Hospital on Tuesday.
