After suffering a heart attack in 2017, Adrian Lee Archer started a heart health organisation in Northern New South Wales.
After moving to Logan in 2021, Mr Lee Archer wanted to continue his work and started Heart Health Queensland to provide crucial post-hospital support for heart patients and their carers.
The organisation aims to bridge the gap in the medical system that often leaves survivors feeling lost and isolated.
But launching it in Logan wasn’t easy.
“It took me three years to get it started here because I didn’t have the support of the hospitals,” Mr Lee-Archer said.
“But now, Logan Hospital is backing us, which is absolutely brilliant.”
The group provides education and support through walking groups, guest lectures, and hospital visits to encourage those recovering from heart conditions.
We are planning to go into cardiac care units a couple of times a week to give hope to those who have had a heart attack or undergone treatment,” Mr Lee-Archer.
Walking groups have already begun in Amber by Living Gems and Palm Lakes at Waterford.
“We don’t just talk about heart issues,” Mr Lee-Archer.
“We solve the problems of the world over a cup of coffee.”
A critical focus of Heart Health Queensland is raising awareness about heart disease in women.
“Most people don’t know that women have different heart attack symptoms than men,” Mr Lee-Archer
“There are three times as many women dying each day from heart-related diseases than from breast cancer in Australia, but where’s the publicity about it?”
Mr Lee-Archer believes a major problem is the lack of ongoing care once patients leave the hospital.
“Hospitals say, ‘See your GP,’ but how often do they actually go?” he said.
“Once every six months? Once a year? Who supports them in between? That’s where we come in.”
Many heart attack survivors experience confusion and anxiety after being discharged.
“They come out of the hospital totally overwhelmed with so many medications, lifestyle changes, and instructions fed to them when they’re in hospital,” Mr Lee-Archer said.
“We help them navigate that through our own experiences and through our guest lectures.”
Beyond supporting older adults, the organisation also advocates for families of children with congenital heart disease, particularly those outside metropolitan areas.
With its growing network of support groups, educational talks, and hospital collaborations, Heart Health Queensland is proving that a heart condition doesn’t mean the end of the road.
“Yes, it’s scary but it’s not the end of the world,” he said.
“People need to know that it is important for their mental and cardiovascular health, that they can still live full, meaningful lives.”
The Heart Research Institute will be hosting a cardiovascular health seminar exclusively curated for Heart Health Queensland on 12 March from 5.30pm at The Buzz in Yarrabilba
For more information or to get involved, visit www.hearthealthqld.com
