Nothing is more powerful than a story from the heart.  Stories of survival make the facts and figures on women’s heart disease come to life and echo the importance of WomenHeart messages of prevention and early detection, accurate diagnosis, and proper treatment.

Our WomenHeart Champions are not only survivors, but the”boots on the ground” in the fight against heart disease. These women have gone on to educate and support thousands of women nationwide by writing books, starting their own nonprofit organizations, contributing to groundbreaking research and using their voices to raise awareness of the number one killer of women.

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Monthly Champion Spotlight – April

Put Your Best Foot Forward –  Darlene Scott

WomenHeart Champion Darlene Scott doesn’t let heart disease define her, she keeps moving forward; one foot in front of the other. And, this National Minority Health Month, she wants women of color to do the same.

“Heart health awareness is important in our community,” says Scott. “Women of color are disproportionately affected by the disease, and often don’t know what to look for.” Sometimes heart disease symptoms are mistaken for something else—which is what happened in Darlene’s case.

Read Darlene’s full Champion story 

 

 

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WomenHeart Champion Survivor Stories

Any woman in need of emergency medical care should call 9-1-1!  Not only can EMTs provide timely and necessary care, but they also ensure that you will be taken to a hospital that can handle your needs as a cardiac patient.

Read Carol’s Story

I still have good and bad days, but I wake up every morning looking forward to the day and its opportunities.  I’ve learned from my heart disease, and now I take better care of myself than before my heart attacks.

Read Janice’s Story

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Champion Spotlight Archive

March 2019 – Jody Knack

“Last February I created a Facebook group called ‘We Are Heart Sisters’ that started with 83 WomenHeart Champions and has grown to over 700. We are supporting women from all over the United States and the world.”

February 2019 – Andee Weiner

“I knew I had to pay it forward to make sure women had support and someone to speak to. I encourage women to seek proper care, a correct diagnosis, and how to be their own best advocate.”

January 2019 – Marie Warshauer

Illinois native Marie Warshauer knows the role she plays is significant. Back in 2002, as a member of the inaugural class of WomenHeart Champions, she made it her mission to help other women know the signs and symptoms of heart disease.

December 2018 – Starr Mirza

A WomenHeart Champion living with PTSD from cardiac trauma, Starr Mirza says many other women might not know they’re living with the same symptoms. She’s using her experience to teach others about the importance of caring for your mental health while living with chronic illness.

November 2018 – Jeanine Moss

An active duty soldier in the U.S. Army, Jeanine was forced to retire after being diagnosed with coronary microvascular disease (MVD) last year.

October 2018 – Joe Burgett

Learn about Joe’s significant impact by arranging a fundraising event to celebrate Heart Month (Rockin’ the Red)

September 2018 – Olivia Rodriguez and Leticia Madrigal

Two incredible women who are pillars of their respective communities.

August 2018 – Corie Cutshall

“I don’t look like your typical face of heart disease,” says WomenHeart Champion Corie Cutshall. “And I definitely didn’t take it seriously because I was so young.”

July 2018 – Amy Josar

One year after undergoing open heart surgery, Amy Josar attended WomenHeart’s Science & Leadership Symposium in Rochester, MN. “Doctors focus on your physical recovery, but they don’t discuss the emotional recovery.”

June 2018 – Yesenia Araujo

Yesenia suffers from asthma and while she knew this shortness of breath didn’t feel like her usual asthma, her past history was on both her and her doctor’s mind, distracting from the real problem at hand.

May 2018 – Mary Anne Norling

Pregnant with her first baby at 23 years old, Mary Anne Norling was excited and nervous, bracing herself for the Washington, D.C. summer heat when she found out she had pre-eclampsia.

April 2018 – Marcia Egeland

You know all those headlines that read, “How could a healthy, 40-something have a heart attack?” What they don’t seem to understand, is that heart disease does not discriminate.

March 2018 – Then and Now: Dawn Manogue and Lily Toomey

Dawn was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy—a form of heart failure due to pregnancy—in 2001, just seven weeks after giving birth. “I was misdiagnosed,” Dawn says. “I was in end-stage heart failure, but they told me I had New-Mommy anxiety.”

February 2018 – Pamela Thomas

The perfect blend of fierce and fearless, 47-year old Pamela Thomas knows the importance of support to help women with heart disease thrive.

January 2018 – Georgia Leventis-Molina

“They kept giving me pain pills, but nothing was getting better,” Georgia recalls.