Go Red

Red has come to represent a variety of things today’s society. It can symbolize love or hate, cupid or the devil.

Two years ago the color red took on a different meaning for me, as I became a heart patient.

Surely by now nearly every woman in the country has heard of the Go Red for Women campaign by the American Heart Association. This year they have gone a step further to get the message out about women’s heart health  (since we tend to think that heart issues are for middle-aged men) and they have created a short film featuring Elizabeth Banks and Colin Egglesfield (the cutie from Something Borrowed) called “Just a Little Heart Attack.”

My dear friend Jamie was chosen as one of six women out of the entire country to be one of the 2011 Go Red for Women spokeswomen.

I met Jamie while I was in the hospital a few weeks before I was listed for a transplant, someone on the staff asked Jamie to come by and talk to me and answer any questions I had about transplant. She really put so many of my fears to rest, and has remained a major source of support and encouragement. I am so excited that she has received the opportunity to share her story with the entire country.

I got to see Jamie yesterday, along with my dear friend Toni, that I also met while I was awaiting transplant, at the annual Ochsner Ladies Transplant Tea. This year we were asked to wear red and a hat. Which I didn’t know because I didn’t read the entire invite. :/ Oops. It just so happened that I wore red. Whew.

All three of us received new hearts in 2009, and we are proud to Go Red.

Toni, myself, and Jamie