DETROIT – Over 20 years ago, the American Heart Association initiated the “Go Red for Women” movement to highlight that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.
Women gathered at the “Go Red for Women Luncheon” on Friday, April 11, to honor survivors and advance efforts to improve women’s heart health. While discussions on heart health have increased among women, further action is needed.
“When something’s wrong with us, healthwise, we put it on the back burner and wait to take care of it. There’s no such thing as a little heart attack,” said Sara Hegarty, with the American Heart Association. “So we really have to put our own needs first so we can pour from a full cup to everybody else in our families.”
Not only did they remember and honor those lost to heart disease at the event, they also educated families and communities on risk reduction.
A crucial part of the effort is teaching CPR to loved ones.
---> CPR training resource guide: Why it’s important, how it works, how to get trained
“In 2019, six years ago, I had a sudden cardiac arrest in my sleep, and my husband gave me CPR before the paramedics arrived,” said Kyle Driver.
Thanks to her husband’s quick action, Driver survived and now has two sons. She’s this year’s Featured Survivor.
“You never think it’s you. I was a young, healthy, active, 31-year-old at the time, and just the more people that know how to do CPR, the more lives that are saved,” Driver said.
Local 4 Meteorologist Ashlee Baracy served as MC at the event. She knows that more awareness is critical.
“You put all the cancers combined, and that still doesn’t reach the number of women in particular that have been affected by heart disease,” Ashlee said. “I just think that as a mom, I want to make sure that we’re going to eradicate a disease that could potentially not just impact me, but impact my children.”
The annual event, a significant fundraiser, successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dollars Friday. The proceeds will support women’s cardiovascular research, education, awareness, and advocacy.
