Events of the Heart –- Educating Women for Good Heart Health

The focus of these posts is a window into the world of the U.S. military from the perspective of a former Mrs. Lieutenant. Yet the posts are also “for women and about women.” And that’s why I feel compelled for this post today to take a detour.

Last night, at the Geffen Playhouse in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, I attended a one-night performance of “You’ve Gotta Have Heart.” This fundraising event – sponsored by the non-profit organization Events of the Heart – showcased celebrities doing stage readings of short pieces. (The line-up of performers appears at the end of this post.)

Why did celebrities such as Eva Longoria and Dana Delany from ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” take part in this event? Because the two founders of Events of the Heart –Pamela Serure and Carole Isenberg – are on a crusade to get American women to know and act on the following:

“Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America, causing more deaths than all types of cancer combined. To date, we are losing a woman every 90 seconds to cardiovascular disease. It affects 1 in 4 Caucasian women and 1 in 2 African American and Latina women. But there is good news. Heart disease is completely preventable and detectable.”

Serure told her personal story of having triple bypass surgery at the age of 47. Before that moment when she almost died, she was sure she was too young to have heart problems. (One of the reasons heart disease claims so many women is because women’s heart problems are not taken as seriously as are men’s heart problems.)

Go to http://www.eventsoftheheart.org to learn heart facts that can save your life. And tell all the women you love to do the same.

YOU’VE GOTTA HAVE HEART April 28, 2008, program:

A Breathing Plan” written by Abigail Propogrebin, performed by Eva Longoria; “Pamela” written by Shelly Goldstein, performed by Brenda Strong; “Tabloid Lady” written by Maureen Orth, Dr. Elizabeth Nable, performed by Kathleen Madigan and Markie Post; “A Doctor’s Tale” performed by Stephen Collins; “4 Billion Beats” written by Carole Radziwill, performed by Alex Kapp Horner; “Rehab” written by Diane Rudnick Mann, performed by Dana Delany; “Heart-Ons” performed by Annalynne McCord; “Taking a Beating” written and performed by Judy Gold; “Gwendolyn Bradford” written and performed by Cynthia Adler; “Fran(k)” written by Doug Wright, performed by Holland Taylor and Jeffrey Tambor.

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Events of the Heart, heart health, Eva Longoria, Dana Delany