Silhouettes of a Woman: Cheryl and Women’s Heart Health Awareness
While February is officially women’s heart health awareness month in the US, this topic is something that we think of quite often beyond the month of February. Without a doubt, it’s always on the mind of Cheryl, the inspiring woman that's in our spotlight for this month’s “Silhouettes of a Woman". Her story with women’s heart health awareness has been a harrowing one, but a story that we are so proud to share on our Queen Anna blog.
During one Labor Day weekend, Cheryl fell ill and her husband immediately called 911. Thankfully, he was able to administer CPR prior to the arrival of paramedics, but she was in critical condition.
When the paramedics arrived, it was clear Cheryl suffered a heart attack. One of her paramedics highly recommended that she be taken to a preferred, specific hospital with better post-heart attack practices set in place.
Despite being much closer to other hospitals, Cheryl credits this extended journey as another reason why she is still alive today.
The hospital and her cardiologist had the foresight to put Cheryl's body into therapeutic hypothermia, or cool her body down after her heart attack to reduce brain damage. After suffering from cardiac arrest, having no pulse for 25 minutes, and then being put into a medically-induced coma, Cheryl miraculously woke up after four days.
Once she recovered after weeks of heart therapy and rehabilitation, Cheryl was determined to advocate for women’s heart health awareness. Cheryl labeled herself as someone who exercised regularly, ate healthy foods, and took care of her overall health.
Her heart attack was totally unexpected and even worse, she exhibited no signs of feeling ill beforehand. With her life-changing experience, she wanted to ensure that women of all ages prioritized their health, especially their heart health.
Today, Cheryl is advocating for women’s heart health awareness to the nines. She bravely tells her story and doesn’t shy away from the gravity of what her situation could have been.
We proudly stand by Cheryl and her cause. She is a Leader of Impact for the American Heart Association and her work with the AHA involves raising funds for innovative life-saving research and bold initiatives to save lives. Donate to her cause with the AHA now:
Cheryl Winston, AHA Leader of Impact
Donate now to these women’s heart health awareness organizations to ensure that further research and education for prevention become the norm for women’s heart disease.
Donate to Women's Heart Alliance
Donate to The Heart Foundation
Stay up-to-date on important women’s heart health knowledge out there. Share these links with your friends and family and how crucial women’s heart health awareness is.
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