FH Advocate for Awareness Shares Her Story at the ASPC

Family Heart Foundation Advocate for Awareness, Rhiannon, recently represented the Family Heart Foundation at the 30th annual American Society for Preventive Cardiology conference in Boca Raton, FL. She joined Dr. Seth Baum as part of his presentation on FH to share her story. Read some of her story here:

“Before my diagnosis, I had never heard of FH, but the more I learned about it, the more I realized that it had been affecting my dad’s family as far back as anyone can remember. My dad had his first heart attack at age 36. I remember it clearly, and it was terrifying.  Unfortunately, he died from a massive heart attack at the age of 51. We were all absolutely shocked and devastated.  There are many cases of my relatives having heart attacks and other heart problems before the age of 50. Even with this history, no one had ever heard of FH.”

Rhiannon’s FH is well managed now. She said: “I guess you could say I’m an FH success story. Yet, as hard as I work at it, my LDL still isn’t quite where it needs to be, and I worry about it every day. With every twinge in my chest, I can’t help but wonder, “Is this my heart attack? Is today the day?”  I have a lot of anxiety about FH, even though I’m doing all I can to manage it, because I want to be here for my family. I don’t want to miss their milestones, and I don’t want my husband and children to miss me.”

“the Family Heart Foundation has done so much for me. I’ve learned a lot about the disorder, and I’ve made connections with other patients. It’s reassuring to know you’re not alone.  I’m so thankful to have the chance to raise awareness of this disorder, and it is my hope to help other families avoid what my family has gone through.”

Many thanks to Rhiannon and to the ASPC and Dr. Baum for the opportunity to raise awareness of FH!