Popular dog groomer, 38, struck down by heart attack

A massive heart attack was the last thing Kirk Shearer and Hilary Clear thought would come between them and their thriving dog mobile grooming business.

Kirk Shearer and Hilary Clear in much happier times.

A massive heart attack was the last thing Kirk Shearer and Hilary Clear thought would come between them and their thriving dog mobile grooming business.

But that's the "one in a million" curve ball which has struck down Kirk, a fit, non-smoking 38-year-old surfer from Sunshine Beach who has been taken to hospital twice in the past two weeks.

That has left Hilary, who is from Ireland and has few friends in Noosa, struggling to keep their business afloat and pay bills while also worrying about Kirk's recovery.

Hilary said Kirk had worked hard to build their business from nothing, describing it as their pride and joy.

Kirk Shearer with Hilary and Buttons the dog before his massive health setback.

But Hilary has been blown away this week after Jennifer Williams heard of her plight and started up a Go Fund Me page to help cover their costs while Kirk was ill.

"It's not great," Hilary said of their sudden setback.

"But I can't believe that (fundraising) is happening, it's completely overwhelming."

Hilary said Kirk had been suffering chest cramps for a couple of months in the lead up to his attack but thought this was just his body overheating from working in the hot mobile grooming trailer.

She said two weeks ago he collapsed unable to breath with heavy chest pains after taking a shower.

"It wasn't going away so I rang an ambulance," she said.

"The weirdest thing about it is, it's like a one in a million thing … nothing showed up, his blood pressure was fine, his ECG was fine.

"He goes surfing all the time, he's not overweight," Hilary said.

Further tests at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital discovered a 95 per cent artery blockage.

"He was in there (hospital) for a week and he was feeling really good," Hilary said.

Then on Monday after returning home from a GP visit Kirk started having chest cramps again and when none of the medication worked he was rushed back to hospital.

"It's so hard because all my family are in Ireland and Kirk's family is in Adelaide," she said.

"It's just myself, Kirk and our dog Buttons, that's our little family."

Buttons the dog is missing her master Kirk.

Hilary said she hoped to take over Kirk's role of dog grooming but she did not drive, so was arranging for their regular customers to bring their pooches to her for their pampering sessions.

"It will mean some sort of business, there's no other income coming in," she said.

Hilary said she had been amazed by the generous support.

"As the next few weeks are uncertain I'm asking you to help them out they have rent, bills etc that are starting to pile up," Jennifer posted on the Go Fund Me page that hopes to raise $5000.

"Let's help them out and show them that they live in a community that cares."

Hilary and Kirk' business is Mobile Dog Grooming Noosa and the contact is 0478 511 270.

In the meantime Hilary and Buttons just want Kirk home so they can take care of him.

She said when he first came home Buttons lay her head on his chest over his heart.

The link to the Go Fund Me page is https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-out-kirk-and-hilary-clear?utm_source=customer & utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet & utm_medium=copy_link_more

Originally published as