Society Notebook: Women Go Red for Heart Health

The American Heart Association of Maine raised $ 400,000 at the 10th Annual Go Red for Women Luncheon on March 21st at the Portland Holiday Inn by the Bay. More than 600 fans received a heart-healthy meal while listening to stories that could potentially save their lives.

"I heard from people who attended the lunch and, because they learned about the symptoms, went to the emergency department and had a heart attack," said Go Red director Katie Rook. "Our mission is to educate women about their leading cause of death, namely cardiovascular disease. In Maine, the disease is linked to cancer, but nationally, heart disease is the leading cause of death. The stories are heartfelt and we make it a fun event with a lunch, a silent auction and breakout sessions on topics such as work-life balance and mindfulness to reduce stress. "

The lunch program featured three Maine spokespeople from 2019, Go Red: Faith Brackett of Stillwater, Amy Bergeron of Biddeford and Angie Bryan of Portland.

"Education is the key," said Brackett, born with a congenital heart defect and who underwent eight open-heart surgeries. "My father died of a heart attack at the age of 38. He did not know the symptoms that he had. He thought his shortness of breath was due to his asthma and that his shoulder pain that he felt was due to his painful work. "

Bergeron survived a stroke at the age of 19 and in his second year at college. "I woke up drooling, my arm numb and my face sagging," she said. "The night before I had a headache and I did not think it was all right. I did not think it was a stroke. I sent a text message to my friend saying that I could not speak and she urged me to seek help and took me immediately to the nurse's office. Doctors do not know why I had a stroke, but they think it was a blood clot caused by birth control. "

Bryan was walking to a date (with a guy whom she now calls "the heartbreaker") when she struggled to find enough air in her lungs and to surrender in the emergency. Her mitral valve was torn, filling her lungs with blood.

"Without the kind of research supported by the American Heart Association and the talented medical staff that saved my life, at the last minute I would not be here," Bryan said. "If you feel something, do not sit and debate it. Go to the ER, not in an Uber as I did.

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. It can be reached at [email protected].

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