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On goal for health campaign
A netball-mad nurse who was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack is back on the pitch after shedding four stone and turning her life around.
Dawn Handley (45), of Woodthorpe, has played her favourite game with the Spartan Ladies team at Alfreton for 29 years.
She never expected she would get ill but, after suffering with high blood pressure for 18 months, she was taken to hospital one day with severe chest pains.
Dawn, a matron at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, mum to Hannah Rothwell (14) and step-mum to Kyle Handley (16), said it was the most terrifying day of her life but said she was lucky because her heart attack was detected quickly and didn't actually damage her heart.
She said she knew she needed to lose weight but had never got round to it.
Dawn had an angioplasty the next day and after completing the gym based cardio-rehabilitation was desperate to get back on the netball pitch.
She signed up for the health referral scheme at Chesterfield Borough Council's Healthy Living Centre, Staveley, where specially trained advisor Tina Hensey helped her through a gentle exercise programme.
The health referral scheme helps to subsidise gym memberships for people who need to lose weight.
To find out more about getting on the scheme run in conjunction with NHS Derbyshire County visit a health care professional at your GP surgery or call 01773 525000.
Derbyshire Times readers are being urged to pledge to make a change to become more active like Dawn.
Everyone who makes a pledge is in with a chance of winning a fantastic prize from a holiday in Centre Parcs, to bikes for the family to a luxury gym pass, just log onto www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk
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Weather for Chesterfield
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
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