Four ‘Go Red’ for heart health awareness

With heart disease consistently named as the No. 1 leading cause of death in the United States, there is an urgent need to educate as many people as possible about the condition’s risk factors and symptoms. The annual Go Red for Women Luncheon, which will be hosted by the Northwest Louisiana American Heart Association on Feb. 18 at the Shreveport Convention Center, aims to provide activities that will serve as both educational and encouraging to influential men and women who could possibly become champions of heart and stroke health and prevention. Four women who currently volunteer as advocates for the American Heart Association through education, lobbying, fundraising and community involvement spoke to CityLife about their inspiration and commitment to the cause.

Cover Story

Hedy Hebert

As Hedy Hebert’s husband was preparing to retire as a hospital administrator in Bossier City 10 years ago, it was the non-professional aspect of his life that brought about the biggest change.

“That same year, he had to have a pacemaker, thus beginning a lifetime of change in diet and exercise,” Hebert said.

After seeing several of her friends also be diagnosed with heart disease and make serious alterations to how they live their lives, Hebert became passionate about advocating for the American Heart Association.

“Through things like education, diet changes and exercise, we can work to prevent or control heart disease and strokes,” she said.

Her husband has taken several heart medications over the years, but he still was found to have a 99 percent blockage in the main artery, Hebert said. “At that point, he had to have a stint and angioplasty,” she said. “The last several years have made us realize how precious life is.”

While she has lived in Shreveport-Bossier most of her life, her husband grew up in South Louisiana, where good – and often unhealthy – food abounds.

“Because of high cholesterol, he definitely has had to make changes in the diet that he has always been accustomed to,” she said. “He is doing well today because of the excellent medical care he has received and the lifestyle changes he has made.”

“The last several years have made us realize how precious life is.”

– Hedy Hebert

Susan Miller

If it wasn’t for a double bypass and heart valve repair surgery she had about two weeks before Christmas, Shreveport resident Susan Miller isn’t sure she would be alive today. And that surgery is in large part thanks to research funded by money from the American Heart Association, Miller said.

“I had my first and only heart event before this 16 years ago,” Miller said. “I decided after two years to get involved.

I wanted to educate other women to not go through what I went through for lack of information.”

Miller was 50 at the time, and she had been diagnosed by a doctor as having reflux. “He said, ‘You’re too young and you’re a woman, it can’t be heart disease,’” she said.

“And it was.”

Miller is on the state advocacy committee, which visits Baton Rouge each year to advocate for a particular issue in the state Legislature. This past year, the issue was raising taxes on cigarettes, which passed. The year before, the issue was teaching high school students about CPR.

“The Heart Association is doing great things for not only the country but also the state because we do have more heart disease because of the way we eat and the lifestyle,” she said. “Through education, we’re hoping to make a major difference.”

Miller highly encourages women to know all the symptoms of a heart attack specific to females and to partake in a healthy diet; Miller recommends a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in vegetables, olive oil and fish. “Listen to your body and act on what your body is telling you. Be self-aware.”

Laurie Simmons

As a Shreveport nurse practitioner who has worked in cardiology for 20 years, Laurie Simmons has cared for numerous patients affected by heart disease, and she has seen it impact her family as well.

After losing a beloved family member in 2009 to sudden cardiac death, Simmons urged other relatives to get checked. “The loss was overwhelming,” she said.

At the time, Simmons, a registered nurse, also decided she wanted to do more professionally and went back to school in order to become a nurse practitioner.

Since getting involved with the American Heart Association and the Go Red Campaign, Simmons said she has met many amazing people.

“I never miss an opportunity to educate, and I love to speak about heart disease prevention,” Simmons said. “I sponsored a Bunco tournament with some wonderful women a few years ago, and we raised close to $10,000 for Go Red.”

The most important thing for people to know is that coronary artery disease is the leading killer of men and women, Simmons said.

“We cannot control family history, but we can manage risk factors,” she said.

Some ways to try and prevent heart disease include to refrain from smoking, consume a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, have your cholesterol checked and exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week. “Do not ignore any symptoms,” Simmons said. “Oftentimes, women may not experience the typical crushing chest pain. They may have fatigue, shortness of breath, arm pain, jaw pain, back pain [and] indigestion.”

Ivory Davis

Having an instilled passion for community service is a large part of what led Boyce native and Shreveport resident Ivory Davis to get involved with the American Heart Association.

Currently the health chair for the Sigma Rho Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Davis is committed to working in various case management roles with the goal of empowering patients to be their own health-care advocates.

“I have always sought ways to serve others, mainly by way of health-care advocacy,” Davis said. “I am proud of the national partnership that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. has forged with the National American Heart Association.

“In this role, I have the pleasure of serving as a liaison between the Sigma Rho Omega chapter and our Northwest Louisiana American Heart Association to promote heart awareness and prevention through education and fundraising,” Davis said.

As an African-American woman, Davis said statistics play a huge part in how she is affected by the disease. “Because minorities, specifically women, are disproportionately plagued with this disease, I remain committed to promoting heart awareness and supporting quality healthcare for all,” she said.

One of the most important things for people to know about heart disease is “there are modifiable as well as non-modifiable risk factors,” she said. “It’s important to recognize the difference and understand that simple changes to diet and exercise are key factors to reducing the overall prevalence of heart disease.”