Wear Red Day

I know… Wear Red Day for Women’s Heart Health Awareness may not be high on your list of priorities for today, but it is on mine. My father died of a massive and unexpected heart attack in 1999, when we were living overseas, and thus began one of the hardest years of my life. Then in May of 2014, my mother (who lives with us) had a heart attack, too. I’m just glad she was living with us by then, because if she’d been living alone, I doubt she’d be with us today. I may not have my parents’ high blood pressure, but having two parents with coronary disease has made an impact on me.

The American Heart Association sponsors Wear Red Day the first Friday of February to raise awareness of women’s heart health issues.  We associate heart attacks with men, but heart disease is the number one killer of women in America. The dramatic chest clutching popular on TV and in movies is not the sign you want, and often by that point, it’s too late. Women frequently exhibit very different symptoms of heart attack then do men, and unfortunately are easily brushed aside.

I have challenged the women in my networking group to join in on Wear Red Day, and will be donating to the AHA for each woman in red. (Love that song, too!)

If you want to donate, you can find out more about how, right here. Please consider making a donation… if not in your name, in honor of someone you love!