As the festive season nears, Jane Bartlett is looking forward to celebrating her grandson’s second Christmas, a moment she never thought she’d live to see without the gift of a new heart.

This November will mark 22 years since Ms Barlett underwent a life-saving heart transplant after a diagnosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy at just 44 years old.

Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is where the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, becomes enlarged and weakened for an unknown reason.

Now 65 years old, Ms Bartlett says she’s making the most of her second chance at life by staying active, volunteering and preparing to lead a team of cyclists in the third Capital Limited Breaths and Beats charity ride.

The event raises vital funds for the Heart and Lung Research Instit

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