Heart disease doesn't discriminate

My story starts right after I turned 18 years old. Like so many people, I had no idea that I was at risk for heart disease at such a young age. Here I was, having been really healthy and young. And then all of a sudden being diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a word I could barely pronounce, let alone comprehend. Then, the prognosis: I needed a heart transplant in less than a year, or else I would die. The best birthday present that I ever received was a brand new heart. My story of survival – and those of so many women like me – was made possible by donors like you.

 

 

 

 

As a happy, healthy young person, I didn't think that heart disease was something that could really impact me. But I want other young women to know that heart disease doesn't discriminate: It can truly affect anybody – no matter your race, how old you are, or any of those type factors. I keep thinking about a sobering statistic I saw recently: 1 in 3 women will die from cardiovascular disease – making it more deadly than all cancers combined. Too many women are unaware that cardiovascular disease is our leading cause of death. I want to share my story with you during American Heart Month to pay it forward. I am alive today because medical breakthroughs funded by donors like you made my transplant and the medications that keep me alive possible. So this American Heart Month, I hope you'll take a moment to read more stories like mine, and see what the American Heart Association is doing near you. Thank you, for saving women's lives by supporting the American Heart Association. With gratitude,

 

 

Megan Hilt Cardiovascular disease survivor