RED - Go Red for Women - I Heart Faces

The theme for this week's I Heart Faces challenge is red, in honor of the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women. It's a cause I have worked with through the years with my job - from wearing red on Go Red Day to raise awareness among thousands of viewers, to shooting promos to raise awareness, to even last year when I painted a "celebrity" picture to be auctioned off to raise money for the American Heart Association. So when I saw this week's theme, I knew I had to enter to raise awareness for anyone who might read this blog.

My picture for the week is of my daughter, who I will raise to make sure she is aware of the risks women do face when it comes to heart disease and other heart issues. She was also the topic of that picture I painted for charity. And although the serious issues and talks with my daughter will come one day about things like heart disease, the risks and the symptoms - right now she's only 16 months old and this is the time for the innocence of childhood. Like her first spin in her new, red Radio Flyer wagon. That's a red of childhood I think many of us remember.

She looked back as if to say "mommy, what are you doing on the ground? Come along with us silly!"

Heart disease has some very un-silly facts though. Heart disease is still the #1 killer of women, taking the life of 1 in 3 women each year. Some of the signs of a heart attack include:
- Chest discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back.
- Discomfort in other areas like one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Go check out some other red entries this week at I Heart Faces: