Dear HeartWalk Supporters,
At the age of 26, I suffered a stroke caused by bacterial endocarditis. The cause was undetermined and the stroke went misdiagnosed for 24 hours. I was septic and was placed into an induced coma for a week. When I woke up, I was told I would need open-heart surgery to repair my heart valves.
On April 23, 2008 I had my open heart surgery to repair my mitral and tricuspid valves.
I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the life saving research of the AHA. They also gave me the platform to share my story and volunteer, which has given me the chance to turn a negative experience into a positive.
During my years volunteering, I have met so many survivors and their families right here in our community. They are all ages and have many different forms of heart disease and defects. We all share one thing in common- that we are survivors. They are some of the strongest and most amazing people I know. Your support helps and gives us hope for the future. My wish is for the day nobody has to go through what we have.
Thank you for your support of the Kalamazoo HeartWalk!
With a grateful Heart,
Georgia Leventis-Molina Heart/Stroke Survivor