Special Olympics World Games to take place at Los Angeles in 2015
In this post we will be looking at the story of Deborah Bolinger – a Special Olympic competitor.
She was born on 31 December 1965 with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect where there are four abnormalities inside the heart. She has undergone various operations, including open heart surgery at Glenfield Hospital and is now set to compete in a Special Olympic Competition, run by the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA).
At the age of two, Deborah had her first heart surgery in the United States. After moving to the UK aged nine, she had 12 hour heart surgery for total correction and now at 49 she is still in the care of Leicester’s Hospitals.
Due to complications and surgeries undertaken on her spine and right knee, Deborah does not have full mobility and has to walk with the aid of a walking stick.
In 2007, Deborah underwent a procedure to insert a new heart valve at Glenfield Hospital, following a period of ill health. Deborah’s dad, Malcolm Campion comments: “The support and care provided at Glenfield Hospital was superb.”
Malcolm explains: “In 2010 Deborah had a setback when her relationship with her partner broke down and as she has a learning disability, she didn’t cope well with it. She started to neglect herself and put on a lot of weight. This prevented her from doing the one thing she loved in life, riding horses.”
One morning Deborah was found by her Carer, short of breath and her colour was blue. She was rushed into hospital and stabilised, and put on medication for heart failure.
Following this incident Deborah decided to turn her life around and with regular check-ups and support from the staff at Glenfield and her family, she started to rebuild her life. After losing almost five stone in weight, Deborah returned to horse riding at the
Riding for the Disabled Centre in Scropton, Derbyshire.
Malcolm explains: “It was a long and challenging haul but her determination was amazing, and she wanted to prove to all the doctors at Glenfield that she could do it. She has always said that without the dedicated staff at Glenfield she would not be here today. Their support has been so important to Deborah; they have a laugh with her and always ask about her riding. To Deborah the doctors and nurses are her friends.”
In April 2014, Deborah returned to Glenfield for a new replacement heart valve. This time doctors were able to implant the new valve using a keyhole catheter technique rather than an open operation and Deborah was discharged from hospital the very next day. Since the procedure, Deborah is out of heart failure and no longer on needs to take anticoagulant medicines.
Malcolm continues: “We as both parents and carers for Deborah we are very proud at what she has achieved and despite all her setbacks we remain positive and optimistic about the future.
“Once again we would like to thank all the doctors and staff at Glenfield for all their care and continuing support. Should Deborah require any further surgery, we know she will be in the best place possible.”
Deborah’s heart specialist, Dr Aidan Bolger, said: “It is fantastic and inspiring what Deborah has achieved. We wish her the best of luck in the Special Olympic Competition.”