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FEB. 3, 2019, BROOKLYN WEEKLY
WEAR RED DAY
Why we’re going red for women
Raising awareness of heart disease is critical to saving lives, writes our president
At 2-years-old, New Yorker
Tabitha Ellis was required
to wear a face mask over
her nose and mouth for 15 to 20
minutes — three times a day — in
order for medicine and water vapor
to fl ow through her compromised
body.
The treatment often required
her to plug medical equipment
into an outlet wherever her family
was when it was time to put
the mask back on, according to
her dad, who said he had little
choice but to force his daughter to
stick with the schedule.
“It’s amazing the strength of a
kid who doesn’t want that,” said
Todd Ellis.
Eight in 1,000 babies are born
with a heart defect, but some of
those conditions heal on their
own, or aren’t problematic. Ellis
was not among those lucky children
whose issues resolved naturally,
however. A hole between
her two main heart chambers
never closed, causing a myriad of
health problems — and logistical
issues.
Her family lived on a military
base and moved every 10 months
to three years. They couldn’t fi nd
a childcare center that would take
their daughter and her breathing
machine, so her mother quit
working to care for the girl full
time.
Cardiologists monitored her
frequently, as she struggled to
grow. At around age 2, doctors
noticed a problem in a V-shaped
part of the aorta known as the
aortic arch. There was an aneurysm,
a weakening in her artery
that caused it to bulge, likely due
to her heart working harder than
usual to pump blood.
Doctors in Texas eventually
performed a surgery that patched
the hole, and they also replaced a
heart valve leading to her lungs
that had been leaking.
Ellis came out of that operation
a new person. The quiet
girl, who once had little energy,
couldn’t stop talking. She was active
and playful.
But as great as she felt, her life
after the surgery presented new
challenges. Doctors said she was
still fragile, she tired more easily
than other kids, and she had to be
careful not to get hit in the chest.
“I remember not being able to
play outside or have recess,” Ellis
said. “I couldn’t do all the stuff
that other kids could do.”
Still, freed from the shackles
of their daughter’s breathing machine,
the Ellis family began living
a more normal life, including
hiking and camping. Sometimes
their girl tired and her dad had
to carry her on his shoulders,
but that was a trade-off he gladly
made.
Doctors fi nally loosened the
reins in high school, clearing Ellis
for normal activities unless
she experienced problems. And
that clearance was all it took for
her to make drastic changes in
her life.
She joined her school’s cheerleading
team as its fl ier — the
person on top of the pyramid who
gets thrown in the air. She swam
competitively for four years, and
she ran track for two years, before
realizing that her decreased
stamina held her back. She
joined the boys’ lacrosse team,
winning the coach’s award for
her attitude and effort.
All was going well — until her
senior year.
While watching a movie in
psychology class, Ellis noticed tingling
in her arm. Soon, it extended
down the side of her body. She suddenly
felt she couldn’t move, like
a boulder weighed her down, and
she couldn’t talk. The sensation
felt like it lasted for hours, but it
Heart of a champion
A New Yorker shares how she didn’t let a childhood
cardiac defect stop her from achieving her dreams
SURVIVOR: Ellis had surgery to correct an aneurysm and leaky heart valve at
just 2-years-old. Tabitha Ellis
We are proud to present a
unique way to call attention
to what is known as
the “silent killer.”
One in three deaths among
women in the United States each
year is a direct result of heart disease.
This killer delivers a fatal
blow to more women in this country
than all cancers combined, according
to the American Heart
Association.
The situation calls for everyone
to be alert, which is why the
American Heart Association designated
Friday, Feb. 1, as “Go Red
For Women Day.” It’s also why
we’re “going red” in this issue
— as we seek to make everyone
aware of the dangers of heart disease,
and the importance of paying
attention to our bodies.
Why red? It’s not just because
our blood is red. The color is often
associated with power, passion,
determination, strength, love —
all qualities that we need in order
to protect ourselves and our loved
ones from the “silent killer.”
Heart disease should be a personal
issue for us all. We all know
someone in our lives who lives
with the complications day in and
day out. But many others have the
symptoms of heart disease and do
not know it.
Last year, Jennifer Goodstein,
former publisher of this newspaper,
wrote about her diagnosis
with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
(HCM), a genetic disease that
causes the thickening and scarring
of heart muscle. She had to
undergo open heart surgery to
have it treated.
Like so many others, Jennifer
lived a very healthy life before her
diagnosis — exercised regularly,
never smoked, no major illnesses.
Jennifer sought help from a
cardiologist at NYU Langone, Dr.
Mark Sherrid, who reassured her
that the condition is “highly treatable”
as long as it’s “recognized
and treated appropriately.”
Awareness is so critical toward
stopping the “silent killer” from
striking you or someone you love.
Heart disease has many symptoms
— shortness of breath, sudden fatigue,
dizziness upon standing,
even indigestion. If you or a loved
one experiences any of these symptoms
frequently, seek medical
help immediately!
Make sure you visit your doctor
at least once a year for a physical.
If your doctor refers you to a
cardiologist for additional tests,
follow through and get checked
out. If you’re prescribed medication
to treat your ailments, take
your doses as required.
Above all, take care of yourself.
Eat right. Exercise regularly.
Don’t sit at your desk or on your
couch all day; every so often, get
up and move your legs and feet.
Avoid smoking — and if you’re
a smoker, fi nd a way to kick the
habit.
You only have one life — live it
to the fullest and the healthiest!
— Victoria Schneps-Yunis
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