{"id":303119,"date":"2026-02-26T12:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T12:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/303119\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T12:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T12:00:08","slug":"fighting-nzs-single-biggest-killer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/303119\/","title":{"rendered":"Fighting NZ\u2019s single biggest killer"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Big Heart Appeal funds vital research nationwide.<\/p>\n

This article was produced by the Heart Foundation and is being published on the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.<\/p>\n

\n The Big Heart Appeal returns this February and March, sharing inspiring stories from across New Zealand and an urgent call for Kiwis to
\n help fund life-saving heart research.\n <\/p>\n

Running across two months, it is the Heart Foundation\u2019s largest annual fundraising event. Kiwis are encouraged to donate during the nationwide street collection on Friday February 27 and Saturday February 28, and online throughout March, to help fight New Zealand\u2019s single biggest killer: heart disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne person in New Zealand dies from heart disease every 90 minutes,\u201d says Heart Foundation Medical Director, Dr Gerry Devlin. \u201cIt\u2019s the single biggest killer in New Zealand and globally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Devlin says heart attacks can happen without much warning, and today every 45 minutes, a New Zealander is admitted to hospital with a heart attack.<\/p>\n

Funds raised through the Big Heart Appeal help make a big difference, supporting research that leads to improved treatments for heart disease and investing in overseas training for cardiologists so they can bring home the skills to benefit New Zealanders.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdvances once thought impossible are now routine, largely due to research,\u201d he says. \u201cHeart valves can be replaced, arteries examined without invasive surgery, pacemakers can stabilise heart rhythm disorders, hearts are transplanted, imaging pinpoints problems with remarkable precision and blood tests can diagnose heart attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stories like Ian Smith\u2019s show exactly why heart research matters. <\/p>\n

After nearly a decade working at the Heart\u202fFoundation, Ian never imagined he\u2019d be the one fighting for his life.<\/p>\n

In May 2024, he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during his morning commute along Auckland\u2019s T\u0101maki Drive, collapsing on a crowded bus without warning.<\/p>\n

Fellow passengers quickly sprang into action \u2013 calling 111, performing CPR and supporting Ian and one another until emergency crews arrived. They used a defibrillator and rushed Ian to hospital, where doctors discovered he\u2019d had a major heart attack caused by three severely blocked arteries. He later underwent an urgent triple bypass.<\/p>\n

Ian says he is deeply grateful to the strangers who stepped in to save his life.<\/p>\n

Against the odds, Ian survived. Today, he\u2019s sharing his story as part of the Big Heart Appeal, urging New Zealanders to support life-saving heart research.<\/p>\n

Your donation this February and March could help save the next life. Support the Big\u202fHeart\u202fAppeal today at heartfoundation.org.nz\/donation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read Ian\u2019s story here: www.heartfoundation.org.nz<\/a><\/p>\n

Save<\/a>Share this articleCopy LinkEmailFacebookTwitter\/XLinkedInReddit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Big Heart Appeal funds vital research nationwide. This article was produced by the Heart Foundation and is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":303120,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[6375,6326,18791,36091,2862,14235,23158,111,43,139,69,3272,1518,58218,9350],"class_list":{"0":"post-303119","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-appeal","9":"tag-biggest","10":"tag-fighting","11":"tag-funds","12":"tag-heart","13":"tag-killer","14":"tag-nationwide","15":"tag-new-zealand","16":"tag-news","17":"tag-newzealand","18":"tag-nz","19":"tag-nzs","20":"tag-research","21":"tag-single","22":"tag-vital"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303119"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303119\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}