AN Ealing man who has the heart muscle disease cardiomyopathy is starting a support group to help others affected by the disease.

Willson Hau, a 55-year-old facilitator and coach from Argyle Road, is holding the first meeting of the West London Cardiomyopathy Support Group on Tuesday, July 14, at 7pm at St Stephen's Church and Centre, St Stephen's Road, Ealing.

People with all types of cardiomyopathy are welcome, as well as their family members, friends and nurses who support them.

Cardiomyopathy affects people of all ages, including babies, and is usually inherited. It is the biggest medical cause of sudden death in those under 35, including sportspeople, but, with appropriate treatment, most affected people can live a long and fulfilling life.

Willson was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) four years ago. With this, the heart thickens, sometimes leading to heart rhythm and pumping problems.

He said: “When I was diagnosed in 2011 I came across Cardiomyopathy UK, a charity that provides information and support to affected families.

“I found its resources and information days really helpful and I greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet others at a support group that met in Northolt.

“Now that it’s not running any more, I thought I’d try to set up one in Ealing where I live.”

The meetings will include speakers from the Royal Brompton Hospital, which has a specialist team looking after families affected by cardiomyopathy.

For the July meeting, Annashyl West and Sally-Anne McNae from the National Institute for Health Research’s cardiovascular biomedical research unit will talk about the latest cardiomyopathy research and clinical trials at the Royal Brompton. The research is designed to find new ways of treating cardiomyopathy.

Willson said: “We want the group to not only provide information and support but also to emphasise the ways in which patients and their families can stay positive and take control of the aspects of their condition they can influence.”

The group has the full backing of Cardiomyopathy UK.

For more information about the support group, see Cardiomyopathy UK’s website www.cardiomyopathy.org or contact Sarah Dennis at the Cardiomyopathy UK on 01494 791224, 07806 512322 or email sarah.dennis@cardiomyopathy.org