Almost 9 years ago I lost my best friend, sister, and personal cheerleader and hero, Jennifer Ann (Haines) Dahl, to a massive heart attack from undiagnosed Coronary Artery Disease. She was almost 42, in a job she enjoyed, raising a 9 year old daughter with her husband with another baby on the way.
Since the loss of my dear sister, I've strived to maintain her legacy by providing information on heart disease and how it manifests differently in women to as many people as will listen.
If I knew then what I know now: That her chronic heart burn could be something else more serious. That her exhaustion and inability to do much activity wasn't because of the baby she carried. Her dizziness was more than being dehydrated. And WHEN the doctor doesn't listen because of your age, health, etc., you must push forward and advocate for yourself, because no one else will.
I choose to put my faith in the American Heart Association because when Jen died, they reached out. They emailed our family. And they knew Jen was a real person and not just a statistic. I believe they work for families like ours to push the research forward, provide education, and are making change in fighting the number one killer of Americans year over year.
