The fear that comes from the very core of your body betraying you is for many unknowable, and for those who know, indescribable. No two heart attacks or strokes are alike; each experience as unique as the person whose heart is suddenly struggling to beat. The fear – of change, of remembering, of the unknown next step, can not only be debilitating, but also – despite the 2.1% of Canadians who have experienced a heart attack – so deeply isolating.
Being afraid can make one feel so alone.
This is where the Cardiac Rehab Center at Southlake comes in. Having heard stories from my mom, first during her own recovery and now as a volunteer, I know how important the program is. Having had the chance to visit and see the program in action, I know how special it is. The core team works their magic with personalized exercise plans and tools promoting healthier lifestyles, while the volunteers - each themselves a graduate of the cardiac rehab program - act as the lifeblood that not only helps keep the lights on but make things brighter than any lighthouse. For people making that first fearful, courageous first step, they are greeted with bright smiles and a listening ear, support and challenge all in one. My mom has told me of people young and old, previously healthy or not, coming in so scared on their first day. It is one thing for people to know you have had a heart attack, but it is something else to find someone who knows. To be heard is to be seen, and to be seen is to be understood. No two cardiac events are alike, but being with others who have had one, and come out the other side, is just as important as all the medicine and exercise in the world.
THE BEAT GOES ON walk to support cardiac rehab fundraiser is held once a year. The funds raised go directly towards resources that help this program succeed the way it does. The program helps people like my mom and the people she now helps get back on their feet and be able to go forward, in spite of the fear, into a life that is changed but still livable. I can't say how grateful I am that Southlake offers this care.
To be heard is to be seen, and to be seen is to understand that you are afraid, but you are not alone.
-Courtney M