AT the age of 32 Sharon Dean did not expect to be told she had a heart condition.

And it was even more of a shock for the young mother-of-two, from Amesbury, when doctors eventually told her she would need heart surgery.

The usually fit mum had been feeling unwell and was admitted into Salisbury District Hospital with pneumonia.

A routine chest X-ray also revealed that Sharon had a heart murmur, which could have seriously threatened her life if left undiagnosed.

Doctors decided not to operate at this stage to see if the problem righted itself after recovering from pneumonia.

But Sharon was still very breathless and unable to carry out her normal day-to-day jobs. Even getting her sons seven-year-old Jordan and Connor, three, ready in the morning would leave her exhausted.

Doctors, at Southampton Hospital, where Salisbury heart patients currently have to be treated, discovered that a valve in Sharon's heart had thickened, probably as a result of rheumatic fever she believed she may have contracted as a little girl.

Six months ago she was operated on to repair the valve and Sharon and her husband Kevan thought that her nightmare was over.

But just six weeks ago she was rushed to Salisbury District Hospital with a racing pulse - her rate was 150 when it should have been between 60 and 70.

Sharon was lucky and didn't have to travel to Southampton because a mobile cardiac unit was visiting the hospital.

Doctors managed to shock her heart back into rhythm and now Sharon says she feels like a new woman and has pledged to do all she can to raise much-needed funds for Salisbury District Hospital's £1 million Ace of Hearts Appeal.

"I feel like I have got my life back. I can walk round the supermarket without needing to sit down and I can play with the children in the garden. I can just do normal things again which I used to take for granted.

"Despite it being a massive shock to discover that you had a heart problem at 32, I still consider myself one of the lucky ones. I was able to be treated at Salisbury because the mobile unit was on its monthly visit. The outcome could have been different if I'd had to travel to Southampton.

"To have a cardiac unit at Salisbury would mean that people could be diagnosed much more quickly. Had I not had pneumonia and a routine chest X-ray, I might still be suffering now.

"I wholeheartedly support the Ace of Hearts Appeal and will do anything I can to raise awareness and funds for it. I really urge everyone to do the same - you just don't know when you might need it."

Salisbury District Hospital charity Share has launched its Ace of Hearts Appeal so that people can undergo tests for suspected heart disorders locally - without having to travel to Southampton for investigations.

The new cardiac suite will also reduce the waiting time for tests and follow-up treatment as the large numbers using the Southampton facility mean that in some cases patients have to wait 15 months for investigations.

Share is encouraging the community to support the Ace of Hearts Appeal by joining in. There are many ways in which individuals, groups and companies can help. Please contact the charity office to discuss your fundraising ideas, telephone: 01722 429005 or complete a response form and make a pledge.

Write to Share, c/o Salisbury District Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP2 8BJ or email sharecharity@salisbury.nhs.uk