Heart disease and stroke has greatly affected my family. My father's mother has had mini strokes (pictured with me above, she also has Alzheimer's). My mom's mom, Mamawh, suffered from a terrible stroke and it affected her speech and motor skills. In her last days, her hands shook intensely as she attempted to give me a chocolate heart. Mamawh once told me that smoking was more ladylike than chewing gum. My mom's father died of a heart attack when she was 17. My dad's dad had emphysema and suffered from many heart attacks. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in this country, for both men and women. 2,150 Americans die each day from heart disease, stroke or cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association invests more than 4.1 billion dollars towards research. I have made it my personal mission to help further the AHA's mission to decrease heart disease by 20% by 2020 and it is my hope that you will join in and help.
