Business owner Andrea De Cruz knows how scary and unsettling health issues can be because she has looked it straight in the eye — she underwent an organ transplant 15 years ago due to unfortunate circumstances. Being an actress then meant her health scare was very public. But with the support of family and loved ones, Andrea has successfully recovered and today, takes extremely good care of her health and ensures that the people around her do the same.
Recently, we invited Andrea to experience the Mount Elizabeth Cardio Virtual Reality Experience, which follows a busy father at home and at work. While it may seem like a common day in the life of a busy individual, disaster strikes from out of nowhere.
"After watching it, it was frighteningly scary," revealed Andrea. "From the video, you can tell that this man isn't overweight and looks like he's in okay health. But yet, he's about to experience a heart attack. It's unfortunately a reality that's happening to a lot of young people these days."
When we asked her how she'd encourage her family, as well as the people around her to keep their health in check, she had this to say: "I would say never, ever ignore any symptoms. If you get chest pains, or you're suddenly hard of breathing, go to a GP. It's as simple as that. Just go and get yourself checked out. As for me, I'm more in tune with my body. I never ignore symptoms and I see my healthcare practitioner more often than I should!"
Click here to learn more about heart screening at Mount Elizabeth Hospitals