Wear Red Day is February 1, 2013. Will you please join me?
Three years ago, I became a Go Red for Women ambassador for the American Heart Association
(AHA) Northwest Ohio. AHA defines
the movement as “...a passionate,
emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their
heart health as well as band together and collectively wipe out heart disease.
It challenges women to know their risk for heart disease and use the tools that
that Go Red For Women provides to take action to reduce their personal risk.”
As a Go Red for Women
ambassador, I alert policy makers on issues related to heart healthiness, and
help raise the public’s awareness of the Go
Red for Women campaign. When possible, I also attend local Go Red events, some of which raise funds
for AHA.
The snapshot below (Yes,
I’m the blond in the back row...) is from the 2011 Go Red photo shoot--resulting in various television spots and
billboard ads, locally. All served
to promote the Go Red for Women
effort.
Several things initially drew me to the Go Red For Women initiative. You see, one in three women suffer
from heart disease, and at that time, I could totally relate: I had lost my
beloved grandmother a few years earlier as a result of heart disease. My mother
had recently been diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia, and my mother-in-law was
suffering from congestive heart disease. This past fall, my volunteer efforts
took on added meaning for me--following my lovely, fifty-year old
sister-in-law’s untimely death from stroke.
Tomorrow (Friday, February 1) is national Wear Red Day. It’s
a fabulous way to raise awareness even further. I’m wearing a favorite red cardigan of mine--even donning it
with a chic red belt and AHA red dress sparkle pin I recently purchased.
This year, however, I’m pairing my cherished red wardrobe
pieces with a classic black (rather than red) dress. Here’s why:
I’m sporting my red + black it in memory of my Mamaw (Irene). I’m doing it for my mother (Carol), who
now has a pacemaker. Dedicating it to my mother-in-law (Virginia), whose health
has declined so significantly--as a result of congestive heart failure--that
she is now totally bed-ridden. And, with sadness still heavy in my heart, I’m
wearing both black and red on February 1 following the death of my dear
sister-in-law (Becky). I do it passionately--for it is my way to share with other women
why heart healthiness is so very, very important.
Perhaps, you will join me in my quest tomorrow to raise
awareness about women’s heart health.
I sure hope so!
Love & peace.
T.
