Imagine a world without heart disease or stroke. Many say this is unattainable, considering heart disease kills more Americans than the next four leading causes of death combined. But this vision — for a world free of heart disease and stroke — drives the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association. Open Your Heart gives donors the opportunity to make a direct impact on the AHA’s mission by making a personal gift.
Your generosity enables the American Heart Association to fund groundbreaking research, develop guidelines to improve patient care and help people lower their risk factors for heart disease and stroke. As long as heart disease continues to be the nation’s No. 1 cause of death, the importance of our work will only grow. Please consider making a gift to Open Your Heart. Together, we can change lives and saves lives!
Meet our Heart Hero - Kathryn Ann:
At eight weeks-old Kathryn Ann was diagnosed with dilated cardio myopathy (enlarged left ventricle), hypertrophic myopathy (thickened walls of her heart) and a non-compacted heart, meaning that the heart muscle has not developed from sponge-like to smooth and solid. Her parents were hopeful that the issue could be managed with medication but the treatment was not successful.
In 2012 Kathryn Ann became the youngest patient in South Carolina to ever receive the Berlin Heart. Only a year prior in 2011, the Berlin Heart EXCOR® pediatric VAD (EXCOR®) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States as a bridge to heart transplantation for children with severe ventricular dysfunction. The development of the life-saving technology was in-part funded by American Heart Association research grants.
It was a tough road ahead but the device worked, and on September 20, 2012 after 5 long months in the hospital, Kathryn Ann received the gift of life – a new heart. In September of 2015 Kathryn Ann celebrated her third “Heartiversary”. She is now a vibrant, active four year old who loves to dance, laugh and her heart is filled with song.
“Without the lifesaving research and education funded by the American Heart Association, our little miracle would not be here today,” said Mullis. “The American Heart Association is more than a charity, it is a crucial part of the heart community for heart warriors, their families and healthcare providers. We are proud of our heart hero and her continuous journey, and are dedicated to supporting the mission of the American Heart Association.”
Thank You to our 2016 Open Your Heart Donors:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Gamma Nu Omega Chapter
Mr. Leon Amerson
Ms. Jean Ballentine
Barnwell County School District
BMW of Columbia
Mr. Arthur Brown
Ms. Barbara Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Creston Brown
Mr. and Mrs. David Brown
Ms. Amber Cannon
Carlisle Foundation
Cayce Steel
Mrs. Allison Cranford
D's Tree Service
Ms. Kali Davenport - In Memory of Patricia Kuwalek
Mr. Jerry Kline
Mr. Adam Lang
Mr. Danny Marles - In Memory of Woody Blackwell
Ms. Emily Phillips
Richland Chiropractic Center
Dr. John Sadler
Wells Fargo