by Whitney C. on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Phil Pomeroy, Arizona
My mom, Jane Pomeroy, had always been the epitome of health. She played golf regularly and walks religiously around her neighborhood. One day she could not quite get words out the way she wanted. A series of small ischemic strokes caused her to suffer a type of dementia. Then she suffered a serious heart attack, fortunately while my sister was visiting. She was rushed to the hospital a few miles away to have an emergency intervention procedure to open the blocked artery with an angioplasty and stent. Thanks to funding support from the AHA and other agencies, research opened the door to this life-saving technology.
Now similar technologies are available for people who have suffered ischemic strokes to open major blood vessels in the brain. As the Greater Phoenix Division board chair, I believe the advocacy efforts of the AHA promote the value of research and technology to treat devastating conditions like heart disease and stroke.