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THE BLOG
Follow Monica's Lead: Make a Heart-Healthy 'Self-Check'
16 hours ago | Updated 7 hours ago
Nancy Brown CEO, American Heart Association
2016-01-31-1454248899-3470586-Monica.jpgR&B singer Monica was just 18 years old and already a star. Touring the country in support of her second album, she was performing in Washington, D.C., belting out the first portion of "Angel of Mine" when...
"Everything in front of me basically began to go from color to black-and-white, fading in and out," she said. "I walked to the side of the stage to ask for help and collapsed into one of our staff people's arms."
Over the next eight days, doctors struggled to trace the source of her problem. Meanwhile, tabloids cranked out various theories.
The diagnosis: a heart condition called mitral valve prolapse. In simple terms, the flap between the upper and lower chambers of her heart wasn't closing properly.
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And so began Monica's journey with heart disease, a ride that's grown wider and deeper as it has grown longer, now in its 17th year. Among the startling revelations was how much heart disease impacts others who are just like her: Southerners. Women. African-Americans. And, most powerful of all, her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
On Feb. 11, Monica's adventure takes a bit of a glamorous turn as she will be among the celebrities participating in the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Red Dress Collection. The event is the first of many ways she'll be spreading the word about heart disease and it's one of many ways my organization will celebrate American Heart Month.
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February and hearts have been linked for hundreds of years because of Valentine's Day. In 1964, the connection took a more serious tone when President Lyndon Johnson declared February as American Heart Month to sharpen the focus in the fight against our nation's No. 1 killer.
We've made great strides in these 52 years, learning countless ways to save, improve and extend lives. Yet heart disease still tops the cause-of-death list.
We also know that heart disease is not just a man's problem. You may be surprised to know that heart disease kills more women each year than all forms of cancer combined. To help reverse all this, a decade ago we launched the Go Red For Women movement.
Before we get back to Monica's story, I'd like to spotlight a few of the exciting events we have planned for this month.
Friday, Feb. 5, is National Wear Red Day. We encourage you to don your favorite red attire and be on the lookout for newscasters and other celebrities doing the same. Local and national landmarks will be bathed in red light, too.
Tuesday, Feb. 9, Woman's Day will host the 13th annual Red Dress Awards to honor those making significant contributions in this fight. Today Show co-host Hoda Kotb will emcee, with The Band Perry among the performers. Honorees include Surgeon General Vivek Murthy; former White House chef Sam Kass; Dr. Kathy Magliato, director of Women's Cardiac Services at Saint John's Medical Center in Santa Monica (California) and the inspiration for "Heartbeat," a new series coming to NBC; Dr. Paula Johnson, founder of the Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston; and Dr. Joanne Lupton of Texas A&M for her leadership in studying how nutrition can help prevent heart disease.
