Celebrate Start! Eating Healthy Day

Please join the American Heart Association for our first ever local celebration of National START EATING HEALTHY DAY! The event is sponsored by Mercy Hospital and hosted by Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech, Rockwell campus.


Wednesday, November 2nd from 1:00-3:00pm
Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech, Rockwell Campus
12777 N. Rockwell Avenue
(Just south of the John Kilpatrick Turnpike in northwest Oklahoma City)

Area hospitals are sending representatives to create a heart healthy dish…the secret ingredient won’t be announced until the challenge begins.

Spread the word- we’d like to see the place packed! Come cheer on the challengers and help us attract attention to the need for improvement in the eating habits of Oklahomans.

Please also consider an office or family activity that celebrates this day, and send us your photos so we can use your stories as inspiration for others!!!

Plan to eat healthy all day next Wednesday…and beyond!

Thank you!

Stroke Advocates Have Nothing to Fear

Stroke advocates for the American Heart Association want to let lawmakers know that they have nothing to fear this Halloween!!! It’s estimated one out of every six people worldwide will have a stroke. This might scare some people but I know that there are changes we can make in Oklahoma to reverse this trend. We can do this by improving our systems of care, reducing our risk factors and making sure our citizens know the signs of a stroke.

Below are some pictures of advocates telling lawmakers to improve stroke care in Oklahoma.

Telling the Story of Strokes In Oklahoma

Over the past month through out You're the Cure network you've heard about the signs of strokes, you've heard about stroke care in Oklahoma and you've heard about the financial cost of stroke. Now it's time to hear a personal story about how stroke can change a life. Pam Bedford is a stroke survivor and valued advocate with the American Heart Association. She has graciously agreed to share her story with us.

Above is a picture of Pam visiting with

Rep. Ann Coody at the State Capitol about

stroke care in Oklahoma.

My name is Pam Bedford and I am a stroke survivor of five years. I was 43 years old when my life changed. It happened while getting ready one Saturday morning when I heard a lout buzzing in my ears, numbness on the right side of my body, a horrific headche and an overwhelming urge to fall asleep. My husband of 11 months called 911 and I was rushed to St. Anthony Hospital. I fell unconsious and woke up 5 days later. I spent the next 24 days in the rehabilitation depatment learning how to talk, walk, eat. sit up and try to understand why this has happened. I was like a little baby learning basic skills all over again. The kind of stroke I had is called a hemorrhagic stroke (brain bleed). I have left side muscle weakness and right side nerve damage along with a number of other issues. Being left handed, I had to learn to start using my right hand. My old "normal" was no more and now I have to create a new normal. Today, I still live with the side effects of my stroke. I am leading a fulfilling life. I have learned to listen to my body more and not take life for granted. This has given me an opportunity of helping others that I never would have had.

Strokes Are Scary: Reduce Your Risk today!

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States. A stroke can not only be devastating it can be SCARY. That’s why it’s important to reduce your risks.


Smoking cigarettes and exposure to secondhand smoke greatly increases your risk of stroke and is one of the biggest risk factors that you CAN control. Consider these facts from the CDC:

• Cigarette smoking approximately doubles a person's risk for stroke.
• The U.S. incidence of stroke is estimated at 600,000 cases per year, and the one-year fatality rate is about 30%. (p. 393)
• The risk of stroke decreases steadily after smoking cessation. Former smokers have the same stroke risk as nonsmokers after 5 to 15 years.
• About 60 percent of American children ages 4-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.
• On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.

One way we can improve our environment in Oklahoma is to ask lawmakers to pass a law allowing cities to go 100% smoke-free. I know Strokes Are Scary but contacting your lawmaker isn’t. Sign up to be a You’re the Cure advocate today! Go to www.yourethecure.org

Strokes Are Scary: But they don’t have to be

If you look at the statistics they will scare you. Heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of death for men and women, are among the most widespread and costly health problems facing our nation today, yet they also are among the most preventable. Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, account for more than one-third (33.6%) of all U.S. deaths.


795,000 strokes occur each year in the United States costing taxpayers $53.9 billion.

Having a stroke can be a life-changing event. Being prepared to prevent, respond to, and recover from all types of public health threats requires that states and localities have the right tools and knowledge available to them. Public health strategies and policies that support healthy living, encourage healthy environments, and promote a quality system of care are vital to improving the public's health and saving lives.

Don’t be scared! Become a You’re the Cure advocate and contact your lawmaker today! Find out how here http://www.yourethecure.org/