When 47-year-old Amanda Tose was rushed to hospital last September, her family feared the absolute worst. What everyone assumed was a sudden heart attack turned out to be a rare, stress-induced heart condition – and now, her daughter is stepping up to make a difference.
Daughter's Mission
This weekend, Jess Tate, from Bridlington, is lacing up her walking boots to tackle the brand-new North Yorks Ultra Challenge. Taking on the event's gruelling 10-mile route, Jess is on a mission to raise vital funds and awareness following her mum's life-changing diagnosis.
Understanding Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
Following further tests and two weeks in the high dependency unit, Amanda was diagnosed with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. A standard heart attack is caused by blocked arteries, while Takotsubo, commonly referred to as broken heart syndrome, is a physical surge that can cause severe heart failure. In Amanda’s case, it led to her heart’s pumping power plummeting to just 28 per cent.
The condition has received less research than more common heart conditions, with Takotsubo only being widely recognised outside Japan since the early 2000s. Medication trials have started as more funding becomes available, with Jess fundraising for the British Heart Foundation to help push this research forward.
Personal Motivation
Tate, who works at the University of York, said: “Stress isn’t just in your head. For my mum, it was a physical surge that stunned her heart. It’s a relatively rare diagnosis affecting only two to five per cent of patients presenting with heart attack symptoms.”
“We need to understand the exact mechanism of how stress hormones can physically damage heart tissue before we can find a definitive cure. I also have PTSD from the day she went to hospital, so doing this challenge is also important for my mental health to give me a drive and focus.”
The North Yorks Ultra Challenge
Ultra Challenge hosts events up and down the country, with over 20 taking place each year, with this being the first ever edition of the North Yorks Challenge. With its mix of dramatic coastline, historic seaside towns and wild moorland, the North Yorks Ultra Challenge is set to become one of the standout new endurance events in the UK calendar.
The challenges continue to be a popular choice for fundraising efforts across the UK, with recent Ultra Challenge events having raised as much as £1.3 million.
To donate to Jess’s fundraiser, visit: When Stress Breaks a Heart: Supporting the BHF. To find out more about the North Yorks Ultra Challenge, and see how to sign up for 2027, visit: The Ultra Challenge Series.
