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In 2002, Heather was on a skiing holiday with her son Will, who was seven at the time, when she contracted - a flesh-eating bug - that left her in intensive care. Her body’s immune system couldn't fight the infection and her organs began to fail. Her kidneys stopped working, she suffered a heart attack and her breathing had to be supported. She was in a coma for two weeks, hospitalised for six, and underwent 15 operations. At one point her family were told that her chance of survival was just 30%.

When she woke from her coma, it was the thought of Will at home that helped Heather to pull through, but following her release from hospital, it wasn’t easy for her. Convinced that intensive care patients and their friends and families needed greater emotional support upon recovery, Heather left her job and re-mortgaged her house in order to set up the charity ‘’ to help to provide this support. Since then she has been volunteering her time daily at the intensive care unit at Southampton General Hospital offering what she calls 'TLC: tea, listening and compassion'.

Heather and her son Will recently also developed an app to help ICU patients who can’t speak to communicate with staff. This is now in medical use.

Being a Strictly super-fan, watching Strictly every week is often the only time that Heather takes time out for herself. But now, Heather’s spare time will be spent dancing for Strictly instead!