A Beat That Never Quit: Honoring My Father’s Legacy

A Beat That Never Quit: Honoring My Father’s Legacy
25.07.2025
As World Heart Day 2025 approaches, I carry the memory of a man whose heart inspired everyone who knew him — my father.

He passed away recently on June 3rd, 2025, at the age of 83, but his life was a testament to strength, faith, and the will to keep going no matter the odds. Diagnosed with hypertension in 1997, diabetes 15 years ago, and later cancer, he faced every challenge with quiet courage. Five  years ago, his heart grew weaker — heart failure, then heart block. At 79, he received a pacemaker, and true to his nature, he didn’t miss a beat.

As a cardiologist, I was involved in every step of his care — monitoring his heart, managing his treatment, ensuring he had the best possible chance. But I was always his daughter first, holding his hand through every high and low. The medical knowledge helped, but it was his faith, resilience, and unwavering love that truly sustained us both.

What made his journey even more meaningful is that his story became a source of hope for many of my patients. Those diagnosed with heart block, afraid of what it meant to live with a pacemaker, I would tell them, “My dad got his at 79 — and he lived fully.” Patients battling heart failure, weary and discouraged, would hear about his determination to follow treatment, take his medication, and never give up. His life gave others the courage to fight for theirs.

Dad never missed a day of his medication. He exercised as tolerated, took daily walks whenever his health allowed, and lived with intention. His last days were filled with joy, surrounded by his family, singing hymns. Last December, he celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary — a milestone of love, faith, and endurance.

He lived with grace, never complaining, always praying, always hopeful. Though his heart finally rested, his life reminds me — and many others — that we can live fully even with heart disease, if we act early, stay committed, and never lose faith.

I share his story because behind every heartbeat is someone’s father, mother, sibling, or friend — someone’s world. Let’s not wait. Let’s listen to the beats that matter, speak up, and act before it’s too late.
I continue to honor him through my name and by giving my best to every patient I serve.

He never missed a beat. Let’s not miss ours.

#DontMissABeat #WorldHeartDay

Dr. Beatrice Muthui-Mutua
Consultant Physician & Cardiologist
Nairobi, Kenya