Lorean Mays
Chattanooga resident Lorean Mays will join more than 300 American Heart Association volunteers in Washington D.C. on May 11-12 to urge members of Congress to protect the school meals program under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and to make heart and stroke research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, a top priority.
“I have dealt with the impact first hand that heart disease and stroke can have on a family,” says Ms. Mays. “I have been an advocate for heart disease/stroke awareness in women as well as the African American community here in Chattanooga for over seven years now.”
Her reasons are personal. “My uncle died of congestive heart failure," said Ms. Mays. "He needed a heart transplant and was not able to receive one. The factors were high blood pressure, diet, stress and abnormalities. My grandmother suffered from hypertension and had a severe stroke. It left her paralyzed on the left side of her body. My mother was diagnosed with CHF on Mother's Day in 2009. That was the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ for me. I knew then that I not only had to kick in to high gear for her, but for myself, because I was now at risk for the same health issues.”
Heart disease and stroke survivors, as well as researchers will also urge Congress to make NIH-funded research into cardiovascular disease a top priority. Even though heart disease and stroke are America’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers, respectively, the NIH invests four percent of its budget on heart research and only one percent on stroke research. As the nation’s population ages, nearly 44 percent of Americans may face some form of cardiovascular disease by 2030, and the cost is expected to increase from $579 billion to more than $1.208 trillion by 2030. Without sufficient NIH funding, cures and treatments for cardiovascular disease, America’s No. 1 and most costly killer, will be seriously delayed – or worse, never discovered, said officials.
“NIH-funded heart and stroke research not only saves lives, it encourages young investigators to pursue research careers, supports valuable jobs, spurs economic growth, drives innovation and preserves our role as the world leader in medical research,” said American Heart Association President Elliot Antman, M.D.
Ms. Mays is looking forward to the chance to speak directly to her legislators in Washington. “I think about all the others who not as aware as I am of the effects that heart disease and stroke can have on anyone, but I am able to be a champion to help others see the light and be aware,” she said.