February – Heart Awareness Month
By Sherri Blevins
February is American Heart Awareness Month. This month is the time designated to focus on improving heart health for everyone. Heart disease affects people of all ages. Part of the month, February 7 through February 14, focused on raising awareness of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) and asking individuals to donate to help improve the lives of those affected through medical research.
CHDs are problems present at birth that affect the structure and function of the heart. They are America’s most common birth defect, affecting nearly 40,000 babies each year in the U.S. alone. Nearly one of every 110 babies is born with a CHD; approximately one child is born with a CHD every fifteen minutes. Examples of CHD include holes in the inside walls of the heart and narrowed or leaky valves. In more severe CHDs, blood vessels or heart chambers may be missing, poorly formed, or in the wrong place.
Several parents in Jackson County have experienced the shock of hearing the news that their baby was one of the one in 110. Many readers remember the story of R.J. Holcomb, a precious 22-month-old baby who passed away a little over a year ago, on January 31, 2020. R.J.’s mom related the journey of her precious boy last year on her Facebook page.
She stated, “During pregnancy, R.J. was a healthy, active baby; there were no complications or indications of anything being wrong with our sweet boy. After his delivery, our happy moment turned sad very quickly; he was taken to the nursery to be bathed and do all his newborn screens when the nurses noticed his feet were still really purple. They checked his oxygen, and it was in the mid-60s.”
Doctors diagnosed R.J. with Hypoplastic left ventricle, pulmonary atresia, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, Dextrocardia, Heterotaxy with right-sided isomerism/asplenia. All these issues caused R.J. to go through surgery at seven-days-old, and approximately sixteen-months-old; unfortunately, he passed away before he received a heart transplant.
During R.J.’s illness, community members rallied around the family to raise money for R.J.’s transplant expenses. They hosted the “Ridin’ for R.J.” Motorcycle Ride, an event that raised over $5,000.00. Since the transplant never materialized, R.J.’s parents and the other organizers donated the money in R.J.’s memory to the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham.
The second annual “Ridin’ for R.J.” Motorcycle Ride will be Saturday, May 15, 2021. The Poker Run, which costs $15.00 per motorcycle and $10.00 for extra riders, begins at Gear Jammers in Scottsboro and ends at Redbucks in Huntland, Tennessee. Barbecue plates and a silent auction will also be located at the end of the ride. This event will allow individuals to play a part in finding help for those with CHDs by helping fund research for cures.
Visit the American Heart Association’s website to find more ways to get involved and become heart aware.
