On February 1, 2018 I received the scariest call a friend could receive. At 28 years old, my best friend, Heather, was in the ICU on life support fighting for her life after collapsing at work due to sudden cardiac arrest. Heather's colleagues courageously jumped in to perform CPR and shocked her with an AED. When Heather made it to the hospital, doctors had to place Heather into a medically induced coma, and they didn't know if Heather would ever wake up and if she did miraculously wake up whether or not there would be brain damage. Doctors prepared her family and friends for the worst - that even if she woke up, there was a chance she would never walk or talk again. Not only did Heather beat the odds by waking up the next morning - she did not have any lasting brain damage because of the immediate CPR & AED intervention from her coworkers keeping the oxygen flowing to her brain. The funny, kind, sarcastic Heather that we all love is still here today due to the heroic actions of her colleagues. The CPR & AED training they had received due to the education and research efforts of the AHA and other organizations saved Heather's life.
Hear Heather's story in her own words here.
Since 2018 Heather has gone on to do extraordinary things. She completed her Doctorate of Education. She became a mother to another heart warrior. She has provided CPR & AED training to over 5,000 people (and counting!). She’s helped pass laws about cardiac emergency preparedness in schools. She continues to be a fierce advocate for CPR training and heart health.
Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women. The American Heart Association Go Red for Women movement's Woman of Impact campaign is working to change that.
Heart disease unfairly targets women, who have been left out of research, testing, treatment and funding. Women have been underrepresented, undertreated and undercounted. But it doesn't have to be this way. Because there's one source of support women can always count on - each other.
Together, we can engage more women in research. We can fight for access to care and treatments. And we can be a catalyst to create health solutions with women's unique health needs in mind, supporting them through every age, stage and season of life.
It's not just about wearing red. It's not just about sharing heart health facts. It's about all women connecting and committing to stand together against our greatest health threat.
The time is now. Are you with me? To support my campaign, click the Donate button. Go Red for Heather. Go Red for Women.
Thank you.