Greater Los Angeles Heart & Stroke Walk to be held on Oct. 22
LOS ANGELES – Terrianne Butac was at her grandfather’s funeral in Honolulu in July when she collapsed. Family members recognized that she was in cardiac arrest and immediately administered CPR and AED, actions that saved her life.
Precious Guan was 28 years old, excited about her budding career as a registered nurse, when she had two strokes. Five years into her recovery, Precious continues her physical therapy with the support of her wonderful, big family. Her goal is to walk on her own again one day.
Terrianne and Precious are among the thousands who are participating in the Greater Los Angeles Heart & Stroke Walk to bring attention to heart disease and stroke and raise funds to support the American Heart Association’s mission to save lives from cardiovascular disease, the leading causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide.
The Heart & Stroke Walk, which takes place on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, is expected to draw thousands of people. The event, sponsored by Optum, UCLA Health, Providence, Keck Medicine of USC and Dignity Health Southern California, includes 3-mile and 1-mile walk route options, a kids zone with giveaways, live mariachi music and a survivor lounge where heart disease and stroke survivors will receive a complimentary special baseball cap. Survivors and their families can also participate in bracelet making and connect with fellow survivors. Leashed dogs are welcome at the walk, and the Pup-arazzi pet photo area offers an opportunity for people to capture fun pictures with their pet. People can register to join the Heart and Stroke Walk at HeartWalkLA.org.
“I’m passionate about the American Heart Association’s vision of a world where every person has the opportunity for a full, healthy life,” said Janet Rimicci, Senior Director of the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center at UCLA Health and this year’s chairperson of the Greater Los Angeles Heart and Stroke Walk. “I encourage every Angeleno to join us and take action as a community to better prevent, diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease and give people more time to enjoy life’s precious moments.”
Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of more than 870,000 men, women and children every year. Funds raised at the Heart and Stroke Walk support efforts to improve care and outcomes for heart disease and stroke patients, advocate for stronger public health policies and fund innovative scientific research to improve survival and find cures.
The American Heart Association has invested more than $5 billion in research, resulting in breakthroughs that save and improve countless lives every day, including CPR, the artificial heart valve, cholesterol lowering drugs, stents and microsurgery. The Association is also committed to improving health equity by changing structures, laws and systems that make it difficult for many people to achieve a full and healthy life.
For information about the Los Angeles Heart & Stroke Walk, go to HeartWalkLA.org. n