Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend the American Heart Association’s 2018 Philadelphia Heart Ball. In case you didn’t know February is HEART MONTH. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, but it is also one of the most preventable. Risks can be lowered by adhering to what the American Heart Association calls “Life’s Simple 7”: not smoking, being physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet, controlling blood pressure, controlling cholesterol and controlling blood sugar. Heart health and cardiovascular research is something that is very important to me and something I’m passionate about raising awareness for, which is why I was so honored to be a part of the Philadelphia Heart Ball festivities this year.
The Heart Ball is an amazing black-tie gala that brings together more than 800 individuals from Philadelphia’s corporate, medical, pharmaceutical and social communities. It is a night to don your finest gowns and tuxedos to celebrate the continued efforts of so many influential members of society who are dedicated to eradicating these horrific diseases affecting far too many people in our world today. The American Heart Association is committed to the lifesaving mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and strokes. Throughout the night I was in awe (and sometimes tears) from the amazing stories of physicians, survivors, and supporters who are making such a difference. The event was held on February 10, 2018 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown and was not only filled with amazing people, but also delicious heart-healthy foods and decor. The organizers of the Heart Ball went above and beyond to make it a night to remember.
One of the themes for the ball was to “move more,” and they incorporated that theme by including treadmills, bicycles, and other workout equipment in the cocktail reception area. Servers even passed out hors d’oeuvres in the room while on bikes… how clever? It was such a fun and interesting way to encourage people to move and exercise more regularly. During the cocktail reception there were a lot of great food options such as: a bed of sushi (literally sushi on a bed in the middle of the room complete with pillows and everything), pumpkin gnocchi with pesto, vegetarian noodle salad with fennel and goat cheese, asparagus vichyssoise, and more 😋.
It was during the cocktail reception that I met Dr. Jack Rychik, director of the Fetal Heart Program and the Single Ventricle Survivorship Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As a physician at CHOP, he informed me about the importance of early detection and prevention. He pointed out that “awareness includes an understanding and education of both activity and diet.” We talked about how Chile has recently banned sweet cereals, which Dr. Jack Rychik states is a long-time coming since eating sweet cereals is the equivalent to eating candy for breakfast. While eating some of these sugar-filled cereals at a young age may not have many adverse effects early on, they can come back to bite later in adulthood in the form of cardiovascular disease. Getting up and moving and teaching children at a young age is also essential. Dedicated to his work in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital, Dr. Rychik agrees that it is never to early to begin education about heart health.
After the lovely cocktail reception, the main ballroom was opened up for the program to begin. During the program, honorees from both Penn Medicine and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital were recognized for their substantial work in the cardiovascular field. One of the most profound moments of the night came from a strong and tremendously brave little boy named Finn Blumenthal. Finn’s mother, Kelly Blumenthal, took to the stage to share the heartbreaking, yet powerful story of her son who, at the tender age of three, has had to endure two open heart surgeries thus far. Finn was born with congenital heart disease and underwent his first open heart surgery as a mere infant. Within 2 years the Blumenthal family would come to find out that Finn was in heart failure and required yet another open heart surgery. They found themselves at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where Finn would have the procedure that saved his life. <--- [I'm not crying, you are... just kidding I am crying 😢]. Kelly Blumenthal described the immense emotion that has overcome her throughout this ordeal and also how it has given her a new outlook on life, an outlook she hopes inspires other families in similar situations. As a mother, she can only look forward to his first day of kindergarten, or prom, or college, everyday things Kelly says she will not take for granted. Three-year-old Finn, accompanied by his dad and brother, joined his mother Kelly on stage where he was met by a standing ovation. He greeted the hundreds of Heart Ball attendees with an audacious smile and wave. Finn will eventually need surgeries later in life, but for now he is too busy being a happy three-year-old kid, full of love and life.
The Philadelphia Heart Ball was filled with amazing people and even more amazing stories. I had the privilege of meeting a women named Nina Stanley, who just 5 months ago had to undergo open heart surgery due to a heart defect. Her story is another one of resilience, strength, and courage. I met Nina and her husband by chance as we were seated at the same table for dinner. She struck me as a friendly, young, beautifully dressed women at first glance, and I would’ve never known of her cardiac complications over the last year had we not made conversation. I was in complete shock and admiration after hearing her struggles. As a local Philadelphia business owner, she and her family had to travel all the way to California for her surgery. She knew for years that something was wrong with her heart, she often had symptoms of chest pain and dizziness, but it wasn’t until many second opinions and months of trying to find the root of the cause that she found an answer. Nina has been extremely grateful to her physicians and the American Heart Association for being such driving forces in her health journey and recovery. Nina has dedicated much of her time now to speaking about her experiences in the hopes of helping other women like herself.
The night continued with dinner, auction, and a variety of desserts. The dinner menu was: super food salad and goat cheese mousse tartlet with a main course of seared halibut and short rib cake. The dinner and auction was proceeded by the dessert lounge, you heard me correctly, not dessert table but an entire room which was pretty awesome as well. A live band sang us into the rest of the night filled with dancing.
Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family health history and the risk factors for heart disease, having regular check-ups and working with your physician to manage your health are all integral aspects of saving lives from this often silent killer. Make a difference in your community by spreading the word about strategies for preventing heart disease and encouraging those around you to have their hearts checked and commit to heart-healthy lives.
The American Heart Association aims to fight these diseases by funding innovative research, advocating for stronger public health policies, and providing critical tools and information to save and improve lives. This is just one of many events the American Heart Association puts on to help raise money for medical research and heart healthy education for the public. You can check out all of the other amazing things they are doing at: http://www.heart.org.
Special thank you to the American Heart Association of Philadelphia for inviting me to this event.
Stay tuned for more adventures…
xoxo Mimi
