Happy Heart TEEN TEACHES KIDS HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR TICKERS
Savanna Karmue Photo by Aniko Kiezel
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t age 6, Savanna Karmue decided to become a cardiologist. A visit to her Sunday school teacher, recovering from heart surgery, inspired the career path. When she was 8, Karmue founded Happy Heart Advice, a nonprofit to teach young people about heart health. Today, at the advanced age of 16, the goal is closer than ever, encouraged by Karume’s nonstop research into the mechanics of cardiology and her management of Happy Heart, where she serves as CEO. “When I found out that 2,000 people die every day because of cardiovascular disease—it’s the leading cause of death in the U.S.—I was just heartbroken,” says Karmue, a junior at Sacramento Country Day School. "So my parents said, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ That made me realize I didn’t have to wait to start helping people. I could do it now.” Karmue’s research led her to conclude that lack of education was the primary reason people didn’t take good care of themselves. “Prevention is way better and more effective than a cure,” she says. “Prevention starts with youth. If people learn in the early stages, the information grows up with them. But the available resources were not kidfriendly, so I decided to write from a kid’s perspective.” At age 9, Karmue wrote a book, “Happy Heart Advices, Vol. 1,” and created supportive material she takes to schools in Roseville, Sacramento and Elk Grove to give young people the tools they need to make healthy choices. The program is projected to reach 5,887 elementary schools in California by the end of 2023. In 2017, Happy Heart added a fitness program to fight childhood
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