Wear Red Day & Heart Health Awareness

This morning as I was watching American Morning talk shows I kept noticing people wearing red & talking about Red dare. So I checked out the webite https://www.goredforwomen.org/wearredday/
which is an American Initiative started in 2003 to bring Awareness to Women's Heart Health.
Since this Awareness Campaign started nearly 300 fewer women die from heart disease and stroke each day.  However Heart Disease and Stroke still kills 1 in every 3 women, something that should have been 80% preventable. 

February is of Course Heart Health Awareness month which is why in America Wear Red Day is held on the first Friday of the month. 
Naturally I was hoping Canada also took part in a Wear Red Day awareness campaign but alas they do not. The Heart and Stroke foundation of Canada do however spend the month of  February  hosting their annual month long Canvasing initiative where more than 70,000 volunteers across Canada will go door to door  as well as use the internet to do some virtual Canvasing!  

Did you know that every seven minutes in Canada, a Life is taken by Heart Disease or stroke? 
So anyway I decided that regardless of the fact that my Country does not officially take part in Wear Red Day, I decided Heck yeah I'm going to ROCK the RED. 

Heart Health & Disease awareness is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart - no pun intended. In the last few years I've realized how little I knew about various Heart health Problems.  Firstly Heart's Don't discriminate, so long as you are a human and you have a beating heart you are susceptible to suffering from some type of Heart Related health issue. There are so many Heart related health issues that people face besides the Well known High blood pressure, heart murmurs and the dreaded  heart attacks and strokes. These are some of the less known Heart Issues that you or someone you may know could end up facing one day. Albeit these are the more "Rare" heart issues so don't start panicking.  These conditions can include things like  Heart Valve diseases - where one of the symptoms is having a leaky valve!  Another health concern is Heart Muscle disease which can cause anything from your heart muscles becoming restricted, dilated, or the muscles enlarge. There are also other things that are centered around specific parts of your heart - such as having an Enlarged Aortic Arch.  When I said that Heart Health & Disease awareness was an issue that was near and dear to my heart, I meant literally. Is is an issue with my heart as  I have an Enlarged Aortic Root. The terrifying thing about these last two issues is the fact that if they go untreated they have the HIGH possibility to cause either Heart  aneurysms or Heart Dissection. The cause for my enlarged Aortic Root  is due to a Rare, chronic, complex & life threatening Condition I have. However lucky for me I was diagnosed with my condition & subsequent Heart issue at 19 & was put under the care of a cardiologist. I have Echo-cardiograms between once a year or no less then once every other year.    There is Hope for those who have heart issues because with modern medicine that is constantly advancing, Specific treatment plans & health teams, and constantly advancing Surgery techniques having any kind of HEART ISSUE is not necessarily a death sentence. In fact with a proper Health Team by your side, a medical treatment plan can be put in place to help you live as normally as you are able to (there are of course restrictions & adaptations that you will most likely have to make) and with all hope you should be able to live a long & happy life! I am going to be wearing RED EVERY DAY this month & am looking into setting up an Online Canvasing page for the Heart Stroke Foundation of Canada and using my Social Media to help Raise both Awareness & money! I am inviting those who have Normal Hearts to Rise on up with those of us who have broken hearts & rock the RED, raise your voice, and Research about Hearts! <3 p="">Below are pictures of me ROCKING the Red from The First Friday & today.