Yesterday I had the honor of attending a Go Red For Women luncheon at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose hosted by the American Heart Association Silicon Valley. The American Heart Association has a special place in my heart. In college I attended San Jose State University and was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority. Our Philanthropy was Women’s Heart Disease Awareness and Prevention and we had an annual Red Dress Gala fundraiser to raise money for the American Heart Association. This is probably the biggest nonprofit I have donated to and raised funds for in my young adult/adult life.
The luncheon was absolutely beautiful, moving, and inspiring. The speakers were incredible and the keynote speaker who was a heart disease surviver shared her unique story which I was so touched by. I don’t think there was a single person in that ballroom that didn’t shed a tear. I felt honored to be in the presence of such a strong woman and mother. A fighter who was not going to give up until she figured out what was wrong with her after many misdiagnosis and be cured. All I can say is truly inspirational.
One major key takeaway I got from her speech was to stop brushing things under the rug when it comes to your health and to listen to what your body is telling you, even if you don’t know at the time what that is exactly. Don’t make excuses for why you feel off or are not yourself, don’t ignore the symptoms your experiencing and call a doctor and get checked. The signs for heart disease might not always be apparent and you may feel like you’re doing everything right so no need to worry. You might eat healthy and workout regularly but that doesn’t mean you are immune to heart health issues.
Also, if there is a history of heart health problems in your family (or even if there isn’t) it is so important to get checked regularly as some heart issues can be genetic. You may also not experience the typical elephant on the chest, hard of breathing feeling but it may show in different ways. Some examples they gave during the luncheon was shortness of breath without chest pain, lightheadedness, pain in your jaw, or even a tingling sensation in your arms and/or fingers. If you are curious about what signs to look out for I would highly suggest checking out Heart.org for more in-depth details as I am obviously not a cardiologist, doctor, or even a nurse!
As I said before, I was so honored to be invited to attend the event yesterday and hope to return next year! I donated to the American Heart Association and if you feel so inclined you can donate as little or as much as you’d like here.
Dress: Chelsea 28, sold out (worn last in our holiday photos, love this dress and this dress as alternates). Heels: Nine West (similar). Bag: Gucci. Earrings: Kendra Scott c/o.
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