Since being diagnosed with a heart condition, I have become an active member of the American Heart Association. I will never forget the day the doctor told me what condition I had. For years I had been searching for a cure, and I had felt every emotion possible. From hopeful and hopeless, to determined and devastated. At the pivotal moment of finding out my condition, I clung to my chair, held back tears, and felt surprisingly blessed. For that instant, I realized I was no longer a victim of a heart condition, but a survivor. No matter how hard it would be to take medicine, re-adjust my lifestyle and have constant checkups, I realized I was one of the lucky ones. I walked out of a place, where not many others do.
Americans and heart disease now run parallel to each other. It is estimated that over 700,000 individuals in the U.S alone will die this year due to heart disease. That frightening statistic becomes scarier when you realize that heart disease does not include stroke, cardiac disorders or heart attacks. In the U.S alone, over one third of the population is killed each year by a heart related disorder. As Miss Chesterfield, and a survivor of a heart condition, it is my duty to educate the public and decrease the number affected.
This past Friday was the Americas Heart Associations Wear Red campaign. The organization encouraged people to wear red as the travel to work, school or where ever the day took them to support the cause. One reason I love this day stems around the fact that you can serve without traveling or spending money. Many people often think that you have to take major time off, spend a ton of money and interrupt your lifestyle to do community service. However the American Heart Association does an excellent job providing opportunities to serve without even having to spend a dime. The Wear Red campaign day offers opportunities for many to advocate for the organization by simply wearing a red shirt.
Macy’s department store was also involved in the Wear Red day. http://www.macys.com/campaign/gored/index.jsp
By shopping online and purchasing red times from the department store, Macy’s will donate a portion of the profits to the American Heart Association. Since 2004, Macy's customers and employees have contributed more than $24 million to the Go Red For Women movement. It's time to make it your mission to fight heart disease in women! Go ahead shop till you drop and help fight the battle against heart disease!
All My Love and Heart J
Amanda L. Miller
Miss Chesterfield 2011
