9/10/14 - A Hamburg Township motherâs story is helping draw attention and awareness to women and heart disease. The American Heart Association is featuring âHeart Heroesâ who have come back from a heart issue, taken control of their health and will be running in the Detroit Womenâs Half Marathon on September 21st. One is 33-year-old Courtney Alexander of Hamburg Township, a healthy and active mother of three who doesnât have any family history of heart issues. Nonetheless, she went into cardiac arrest at Mount Brighton after skiing last February. She was hospitalized and put in an induced coma to help prevent brain damage before being released two weeks later. In March she received an ICD, started cardiac rehab and graduated in August. Although she must wear a heart monitor, Alexander says sheâs currently running and working out ahead of the upcoming marathon but tells WHMI her story is proof that this can happen to anyone. Alexander says living a healthy lifestyle is important but in her case, she had always been very active and considered herself to be healthy. She stressed how important it is for first responders to have Automated External Defibrillators in their vehicles because they do save lives. She says luckily, a responding Hamburg Township police officer had one and was able to deliver two shocks to restart her heart the day she went into cardiac arrest. Alexander's full story and more information about the Detroit Womenâs Half Marathon is available through the link below. (JM)
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