I also wanted to take a moment to share why the American Heart Association’s mission means so much to me on a personal level, living with heart failure. Some of you may already know, but I had an unexpected health scare on December 11, 2022. That night, I found myself admitted to the ICU at Medina, relying on a bi-pap to breathe. Despite having started my nursing career on a cardiac telemetry unit, I was completely unaware that I had been in heart failure for weeks leading up to this event. While being treated for pneumonia by my primary care physician, based on my chest x-rays and symptoms, I wasn’t improving as expected. I attributed my issues—slight weight gain, fatigue, and occasional palpitations—to lack of exercise and caffeine, never suspecting something more serious. What I didn’t have was swelling in my legs or feet, which led me to dismiss the possibility of heart failure.

The night I finally went to the emergency department, my oxygen saturation was in the 80s, well below the normal range of 95-100%. I experienced runs of ventricular tachycardia, and the ED physician warned me that intubation was imminent if my breathing couldn’t be controlled. The following day, an advanced practice provider explained that I had acute combined systolic and diastolic congestive heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy, and severe mitral valve regurgitation. My ejection fraction was only 27%, and a cardiac MRI a week later revealed it was actually 19%—far below the normal range of 50-70%. At that point, the outlook was unbelievable: I was told I might never work again, might need a heart transplant, a defibrillator, or valve surgery. It was a frightening time, perhaps even more so for my family and friends, as I struggled to accept how sick I was.

After returning home, I wore a lifevest, took what felt like countless medications, slept A LOT, and followed a strict diet. Cardiac rehabilitation began a few weeks later, and fortunately, at my follow-up in mid-February, my ejection fraction had improved to 34%. That allowed me to remove the lifevest and begin the journey back to a more normal life, learning to live with heart failure.  Today I am fortunate to now have an ejection fraction closer to 45- 50% and a loop recorder to monitor my runs and haven’t need a defibrillator.  

I am profoundly grateful for everyone who contributed to my recovery, as well as the remarkable advancements in cardiac care and medications that made it possible. The thought of not being there for my children, family, friends, and fellow caregivers is unimaginable. Although I was lucky to have a strong recovery, I know many others are not as fortunate, which makes promoting heart health an essential goal for me. Their work helped save my life, and for that, I am forever thankful.

Thanks again for your consideration in being part of our team!

Brenda