Columbus bands together to save more women fromheartdiseaseand stroke
AmericanHeart Association’s signatureGo Red for WomenLuncheon raisesfundsandencouragesthe community to Go
Forthefirsttimeinthreeyears,the AmericanHeartAssociation,devoted toaworldofhealthierlivesforall,will bringtheirColumbusGoRedforWomen Luncheonbackinperson.Morethan700 peopledeckedoutfromheadtotoeinred areexpectedtogatherThurs., Feb.16at theColumbusGoRedforWomenLuncheontoraiseawarenessandhelpfund thefightagainstheartdiseaseandstroke, whichclaimthelivesof1in3women.
TheGoRedforWomenLuncheonis oneofthenation’spremiereventsforthe AmericanHeartAssociationandthesignaturefundraisingeventforitsGoRedfor Womenmovement,whichharnessesthe energy,passionandpowerofwomento improvetheirhealth,andinturn,support theirfamiliesandcommunities.
WiththethemeofBetheBeat,this year’sluncheonwillhighlightimpactful, localAssociation-fundedresearchfocused onimprovingmaternalhealthoutcomes, toolsandinformationtohelpColumbus improvetrainingandbystanderCPRrates forwomenandinspiringstories of survivalsharedby localwomanimpactedby heartdiseaseandstroke.
“For19years,GoRedforWomenhas providedaplatformfortheColumbus communitytocometogetherandraise awarenessoftheNo.1killerofwomen,” saidNancyTobbe,executivedirectorfor theAmericanHeartAssociation,CentralOhio.“Wearethrilledtobebackin personthisyearcelebratinglifesavingand groundbreakinglocalresearchaswellas honoringlocalwomenwhohavesurvived heartdiseaseandstroke.”
Since2004,theAmericanHeartAssociation hasengagedmorethan2million womentolearntheirriskofheartdisease andstrokeandtakepowerfulstepsto takechargeoftheirhealththroughitsGo RedforWomenmovement.Whileadvocacyandeducationalcampaignsfocused onheartdiseasehavemadegreatstrides inimprovingknowledgeandattitudes amongwomen,healthdisparitiesstillexistamongandbetweenwomen. CardiovasculardiseaseistheNo.1 killerofnewmoms,andstructuralinequitiesmakethisrealityfartoocommon amongBlackandAmericanIndian/Alaska Nativemomsinparticular.Recently,the Associationinvestedinanew$20mil-
lionresearchproject:theHealth Equity ResearchNetwork(HERN)onDisparitiesinMaternal-InfantHealthOutcomes, whichseekstobetterunderstandthe linkbetweenpregnancycomplications andcardiovascularhealthamongwomen andtheirbabies.TheOhioStateUniversityCollegeofMedicinewasoneofthe selectedfiveresearchprojectsreceiving atotalof$2.2million.Localresearchers, physiciansandmaternalhealthsurvivors willdiscussthisresearchandGoRedfor Women’scommitmenttoaddressingthe maternalhealthcrisis.
Thedisparitieswomenfacedon’tstop atmaternalhealth,womenarestill less likelytoreceivebystanderCPRthanmen. Womenarelesslikelytoreceivebystander CPRpartlybecausepeoplefearaccusationsofinappropriate touching,sexualassaultorinjuringtheperson.Byequipping peoplewithHands-OnlyCPRtraining,they learnhowsimplethetechniqueisand gainconfidencethatwillhelpthemact quicklyinanemergency.
TheAmericanHeartAssociationnotes nearlythreeoutofeveryfourcardiacarrestshappeninhomesandiscallingfor
atleastonepersonineveryhousehold tolearnHands-OnlyCPR.Thetwosimple steps of Hands-OnlyCPRaretocall911 andtopushhardandfastinthecenterof thechestuntilhelparrives.Anyonecan learnitfroma60-secondvideoavailable atheart.org/handsonlycpr.
The Go RedforWomen Luncheonhas been raisingawareness andfunds in CentralOhio fornearlytwodecadesand has educatedtensofthousandsinthe community and raisedmore than$12Mto support the Go RedforWomenmovement.Yet cardiovasculardisease remainstheNo. 1 killer ofwomenclaimingthe lives of more womenthan all formsofcancercombined. Guestswillrallyatthisyear’s heart-healthy event around a goaltoraise$1.1M which will helpcontinue to advance women’s healththroughresearch education, awarenessandadvocacyinitiatives.
GoRedforWomenisnationally sponsoredbyCVS Healthandlocally sponsoredbytheBigLotsFoundation andCardinalHealth. FormoreinformationandtoregistertoattendtheGoRed ForWomenLuncheon,visitevent.gives/ columbusgored.
Exhaustedattheendofaworkday,DawnTurnage ploppedintoacomfortablechaironherpatiotosoakup somesunbeforegoingtobedearly.
Herphonebuzzed.ItwasaFaceTimecallfromhersister,AprilWashington.
Washingtonwascallingbecauseher2-year-olddaughter,Naomi,wantedtotalkto“AuntyDawn”–or“TeTe,”as theyoungstercallsher.
AsmuchasTurnageenjoyedchattingwithherniece, thetimingwasterrible.Shehadfeltsowipedoutonher drivehomefromworkthatshe’dcalledafriendtomake sureshewouldn’tfallasleep.
Formorethanaweek,Turnagehadbeendealingwith extremeexhaustionandnonstopheadaches.Duringthe day,she’dchugsodas,hopingtheywouldperkherupand diminishthepaininherhead.Theydidn’t.
Shealsohadbeendroppingthings,andhervisionhad worsened.Sometimeshercomputerscreenwasblurryor toodark.Sheorderedaglareguardandplannedtohave hervisionchecked.
Turnageblamedherproblemsonastressful schedule.Atthetime,shehadtwojobs,one duringtheweekwiththehousingauthorityin Columbus,Ohio,andoneontheweekendwith theparksandrecreationdepartmentinWesterville.Thestressledhertoovereat,andshe’d gainedweight–somethingelsesheblamedfor herfatigue.Sheknewtheaddedweightwasn’t helpingcontrolthehighbloodpressureshe’d beendiagnosedwithayearbefore.
Thisweek,though,hermantrawas:“Ihaveto pushthrough.Ihavetopushthrough.”
Sosurelyshecouldhandleafewminutes chattingwithherniece.
“TeTe,whyisyourfacecrooked?”Naomi asked.
“Whatdoyoumean?”Turnageasked.
Naomiaskedagain,pointingtothescreen. Washington,aphysicianassistant,heard herdaughterandwenttoseeforherself.Sure enough,therightsideofTurnage’smouthwas turneddown,makingherfacelooklopsided.
FactoringinTurnage’shighbloodpressure
andotherissues,Washingtonfearedhersisterwashavingastroke.Herhusbandcalledtheirothersister,Damika Withers,wholivednearTurnage,tohelp.
Turnage–whodidnothavetheslurredspeechthat’s commonwithastroke–insistedtheygotourgentcare. There,TurnagewastoldshelikelyhadBell’spalsy,which cancausetemporaryfacialweakness.
WitherstextedtheinformationtoWashington.Shethen calledtheclinictomakesuretheyknewthefullstory, includingallofTurnage’srecentissues.Giventhisnewinformation,thedoctorreconsidered the diagnosis.Hetold Turnageshecouldbehavingastroke.
“I’vejustbeentiredisall,”Turnagesaid.Shewasonly 44.Toher,astrokehappenedtoolderpeople.
Turnagewastransportedbyambulancetothehospital. Afterrunningtests,doctorstoldhershe’dhadseveral TIAs,ortransientischemicattacks.Theseoccurwhena clotblocksbloodflowtothebrainforashorttime.
Everyone atthehospitaltoldTurnagehowluckyshe was
tonothave lastingcomplicationsfromthe“mini-strokes,” which can be a warning sign of a full-blown stroke.
Turnagetookitasawake-upcall.
“Ikeptthinkingbacktowhatcouldhavehappened and thankingGodthatIamstillhere,”shesaid.“Ifeltlike,this isit.I’vegottotakebettercareofmyself.”
Thatwasin 2015 Rightaway,shechangedherdietandbegan walking regularly.Shesoonbeganlosingweight.
EarlyintheCOVID-19pandemic, Turnagefellout of herexerciseroutine, butin thesummerof2021,sherenewedhereffortstoexercise,includingindoor cycling classestwice a week,andstartedmakinghealthiermeal choices.Because self-careisimportanttoher,shegets massages twicea monthandmakessuretogetenough sleep.
“Itrytolistentomybody,anditstartedsaying, ‘Dawn, you’regoingdownthewrongroad,’”shesaid.“Idon’tever wanttogettothatplaceagain.”
In2022,Turnageaddedapersonal fitness coachtoherhealthystylechanges.Withthis changeshehasabletobetterevaluateherfitnesslevelsandhealthconditions,buildindividualizedexerciseprograms,gainmealplan recommendationsandmore.
She’salsoonamissiontoeducate others, especiallyunderrepresentedracialandethnic groups.Theprevalenceofhighbloodpressure amongBlackpeopleintheU.S.isamongthe highestintheworld,accordingtoAmerican HeartAssociationstatistics.Theyhavedisproportionatelyhigherratesofmoreseverehypertensionanditdevelopsearlierinlife–statistics relatedtohistoricalandsystemicfactors.
“It’simportanttomethattheAfrican Americancommunityisawareoftheirhealth,” shesaid.“Theyneedtohavescreeningsand knowwhattheirnumbersareaswellasknow thewarningsignsforcardiovasculardisease.”
“I’mveryproudofher,andIlovethat she stayssoactiveinthecommunity,”Washington said.“Shehasacommunitythatsupportsher andlooksuptoher.”
TheAmericanHeart Associationencourages CentralOhio to “BetheBeat” andactin cardiacemergencies to helpsave lives
DuringFebruary – AmericanHeart Month– the AmericanHeartAssociation, the leading voluntary health organizationdevotedto aworld of longer,healthier livesforall,isurging atleast onepersonin everyhousehold to committolearningHands-OnlyCPR. Cardiovasculardiseaseremains the leading cause ofdeathintheUnited States. Thisyear’s American Heart Month2023activities aredesignedto help motivate people to “Bethe Beat” neededtokeep someonealivebylearning the twosimplestepsit takes tosave alife–call 911andpushhardandfast in the center ofthe chest.
AccordingtoAmerican Heart Association data, morethan350,000outof-hospital cardiac arrestsoccurin the United Stateseachyear.CPR,especially if performed immediately, can doubleor triple a cardiacarrestvictim’schanceof
survival–which is keysince about90% ofpeoplewhosufferout-of-hospital cardiacarrestsdie. And, becauseabout 70%ofcardiac arrests happen at home, oddsare thepersonwhoneedsCPR will bea family member or friend. HandsOnlyCPR isquickand simpletolearn andcanbeperformed byany family member or bystander.
“Ifyou arecalled ontogiveCPR in anemergency, youwillmostlikely be tryingto save the lifeofa loved one: a spouse,aparent,grandparent,childor afriend,” saidDr. Laura Gravelin, presidentoftheAmerican Heart Association CentralOhioBoardof Directors and MD incardiovascular medicine,Mount CarmelHeart&VascularSpecialists.
“We areexcited to support theAmericanHeartAssociation’s Hands-Only CPR campaignandbringawarenessto the importance ofknowingCPR this
HeartMonth. Weencouragepeople to beprepared fora cardiac emergencyby learning Hands-OnlyCPR to help save lives.”
Hands-OnlyCPRinvolves twosimple steps andanyonecanlearnit from a 60-secondvideoavailable at heart.org/ handsonlycpr
Step1:Ifa teen oradultinyour home suddenlycollapses,call911immediately. Step 2: Placeonehand on topofthe otherasshowninthe video and push hardandfastonthe victim’s chest.
Takeadvantage of ourCPRtraining kiosksasyoutravel.AtJohnGlenn International Airport andeight otherlocationsthroughoutthe country,HandsOnly CPRtrainingkiosksareproduced by the American Heart Associationand
