My mother died of a heart attack when she was just 46 years old. It was the late 1960s, and I was a young kid – just 13 years old. At that time, we were only beginning to learn the connection between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Stents were still in development, and medical science was … Read More →
After you’ve lost your mom, Mother’s Day is complicated. Sadness and “what if’s” mix with gratitude and “I remember when’s.” My heart swells with love for the woman I was fortunate enough to call “Mom.” And even though I talk about her in the past tense, my swollen heart still … Read More →
The Race to Save More Families More Hearts has begun, and we have some great races going on across the familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and lipoprotein(a), also known as Lp(a), communities.
One such race is Charlotte’s. She’s using her social media and in-person classes at her New York yoga … Read More →
Knowing the difference can save a life
November is National Healthy Skin Month so it feels like the right time to address a common misconception in the world of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Many of the stories that come from our Family Heart community involve a trip to the dermatologist.
What … Read More →
The Journey to Accepting My FH Diagnosis
“We lost her unexpectedly. From the outside, she had no indication something was wrong.” Charlotte was only 17 when her mother passed away from a heart attack. “She was so petite,” Charlotte explains, “and she lived a very stress-free life. She was … Read More →
For Seven Years I Thought I had a Perfectly Healthy Child
When Jessica’s father died of a heart attack at the young age of 54, she didn’t know the reason could be genetic. “He was a stubborn man who never went to the doctor,” explains Jessica. But when the doctors told her that her total cholesterol … Read More →
I Listened to the Lessons of My Mother
Fern’s family tree looks like most of ours – full of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. But her tree is also full of extremely early heart disease.
Like many people with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and high lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), Fern’s … Read More →
“We’ll See You in Ten Years” – I Didn’t Like That Answer
Tom’s story starts out like many Family Heart Foundation Advocates. “My family has always had high cholesterol,” he explains, “but we never put a name to it.”
Once he secured a job with good health insurance, Tom and his wife … Read More →
My name is Kristen Gradney, and I am the Senior Director of Children’s Health at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My husband, Chad Gradney, was diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in 2013.
I’m also a mother to the two most amazing children, … Read More →
March 24th was the first ever Lipoprotein(a) Awareness Day, and my conversations about it went something like this:
Me: Did you know today is Lp(a) Awareness Day?
Friend: What’s that?
Me: Elevated Lp(a) is a common genetic cholesterol disorder that I have.
Friend: Wait. I thought you had … Read More →
