Behind the Scenes: Survivor Gallery Photo Shoot

A few months ago Ava Jane was asked to be apart of the 2015 Go Red For Women Survivor Gallery with the American Heart Association. The Survivor's Gallery is a traveling photo exhibit celebrating the personal stories of local women (and in her case children) who have experienced heart disease or stroke. Each survivor will have a story board that will be unveiled in a few weeks at the Arkansas State Capital during a national Wear Red Day press conference. The story boards will be displayed throughout Central Arkansas, at the Go Red For Women's luncheon and featured in Arkansas Life.

I hope the photographer was able to get at least one good picture, this sweet thing was quite the stinker the day of the photo shoot! She wanted to hide and climb up all the stairs, run around the halls and climb up to see down into the rotunda. Thankfully I had my Mom with me to help.

Did you know:

-Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined

-Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute

-An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease

-Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease

-Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease

-While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease

Because Mom came, I was actually able to hear most of the women share their courageous stories of different types of heart disease they've struggled with.   It's amazing just how many women have experienced some type of heart problem and to hear how modern medicine and new procedures have been able to help each one of them was pretty remarkable.  (Here's a very blurry shot of some of the ladies from the 2015 Survivors Gallery.)

So join with us, help celebrate National Wear Red Day with Go Red For Women on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 to raise awareness of how heart disease effects women---you just might help save a women’s life!