Ashleigh Craig ‘struggled’ on her regular 5k run and ‘didn’t feel right’ in a fitness class a year later. Nothing prepared her for the news doctors gave her
Ashleigh Craig from Blackwood recovers in hospital after having open heart surgery aged 25. (Image: Ashleigh Craig)
Ashleigh Craig had always been fit and healthy with no medical conditions to worry about. When the student nurse from Blackwood felt something “didn’t feel right” while she was doing her regular exercise class she wasn’t unduly worried, but decided to get medical checks to be sure.
Despite always being fit and active, the then 22-year-old found her heart rate was unusually high. She then began to struggle to keep up with the activities she had once found easy and enjoyed.
After tests and check-ups doctors gave Ashleigh shocking news. She was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a congenital heart condition where there is a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart, known as the atrial septum. Don’t let an algorithm decide what Welsh news you see – click here to add WalesOnline as your preferred Google source.
Doctors told Ashleigh that some ASDs are very small and may never cause any problems or need treatment. In her case the ASD was larger and needed surgery.
Ashleigh and Abi Craig(Image: Ashleigh Craig)
The diagnosis came as a “complete shock”, she says. Looking back, Ashleigh says the symptoms had gradually affected her life more than she initially realised.
“I tried to do a 5K run the summer before and I just couldn’t do it,” she said. “I was really struggling.”
Initially, medics considered whether her condition could be repaired using a less invasive procedure, but further investigations revealed she needed open-heart surgery.
In October 2025, aged 25, Ashleigh underwent open surgical closure of her ASD at the Bristol Heart Institute.
“I went into hospital and had the operation the next morning,” she said.
“I was in hospital for six days in total and I honestly couldn’t fault the care I received. It was amazing.”
Ashleigh warned people not to delay checking with doctors if they feel anything isn’t quite right.
“If you think something is a little bit off, go and get checked and advocate for yourself. Push for answers. If I’d ignored what was happening, things could have been very different.
“I feel so grateful that I was one of the lucky ones who found it. There are lots of people who don’t. If I hadn’t had the surgery, I don’t know where I would be in a couple of years’ time.”
The diagnosis and surgery meant Ashleigh had to put her nursing studies on hold. She took a year out from the University of South Wales while she recovered to rebuild her physical strength and confidence.
Now the experience of being on the other side of healthcare as a patient has given her a new outlook.
Ashleigh, who is now in the final year of her nursing degree at USW, said: “It is so much different being on the other side.
“I was fit and healthy growing up and had no problems at all, so it gives you a lot more empathy and makes you realise how lucky you are to be the nurse and not the patient.
“There are lots of worries and things that you don’t necessarily think about until you’re the one experiencing them.”
Throughout her recovery, Ashleigh said she got vital support and information from the British Heart Foundation and reassurance from other people who had gone through similar experiences.
“It’s nice having that sense of community and knowing you’re part of something bigger rather than doing everything on your own,” she said.
Her diagnosis also had an unexpected impact on her family.
After Ashleigh’s diagnosis, and subsequent genetic testing, her sister Abi, 24, was found to have bicuspid aortic valve, another congenital heart condition, and she is now also being monitored by specialists.
Now both sisters are getting back to fitness together.
After her open heart surgery Ashleigh was determined to return to exercise. Only one month after returning home from hospital she said she “surprised even herself” by signing up for the 2026 Cardiff Half Marathon with Abi.
Abi (L) and Ashleigh (R) hold up their medals aftrer completing the Cardiff Half with advice from their medical teams. (Image: Ashleigh Craig)
Both sisters wanted to run the marathon and said they consulted with their cardiology teams “every step of the way”.
“I thought, right, I can run now,” said Ashleigh, “health permitting, I’m going to set my mind to this, do it for an amazing cause and prove to myself that I can do it.”
The sisters spent the next few months training together.
“It is quite nice for both of us really,” Abi said. “We’ve been told that keeping fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important, and training together has become part of that. I was also so proud of how far Ashleigh had come.”
In October Ashleigh and Abi completed the Cardiff Half raising £1,000 for BHF Cymru in the process.
Rhodri Thomas, head of BHF Cymru congratulated the sisters and also warned people with a heart condition to always check with their doctors before taking part in a sporting event.
“It is great to see people with heart conditions go on to achieve great things,” Rhodri said. “If anyone with a heart condition is considering taking on a sporting event, they should always check in with their medical team first.
“For Ashleigh to achieve this just 12 months after open heart surgery is an outstanding showcase of resilience and determination.”