Meet Heather L. VacLav
2021 Cotes du Coeur Survivor

Hear from a survivor, Heather L. VacLav, as she shares her personal heart story and how donors like you have impacted her incredible journey.

Heather has been a volunteer with the American Heart Association since she was a teenager. After being diagnosed with a leaky heart valve at the age of fifteen, she made it her mission to be an advocate for women’s heart health and the mission of the AHA. After years of living with her heart defect, she was told in December of 2019 that she may never have to have open heart surgery.

On January 8, 2019, a few weeks after turning 29, the unthinkable happened. While in Atlanta for work, Heather’s aortic valve erupted causing her to have a massive heart attack. The left side of her heart suffered massive trauma and stopped working all together. To save Heather’s life, a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, was placed in her chest. Little did she know, there was more to her story than she ever could have imagined.

The research funded by the AHA developed the ER protocol, training, medication and medical technology that are the direct reasons why Heather is alive today.

Thank you!

Year after year, passionately committed donors and volunteers like you have moved the mission forward by being a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. You, our supporters, have been the driving force enabling groundbreaking advances in such areas as research, tobacco control, quality & availability of care, chain of survival, obesity prevention, as well as heart disease and stroke prevention. Now, more than ever, the American Heart Association has a sense of urgency to move the mission forward.

Donors have the opportunity to commit to a pre-event donation in honor/memory of anyone that is special to them. All gifts will be recognized at the event and gifts of $5,000 and above will be displayed on our Tribute wall. Please contact Diana Rivas-Smith at 832.878.3282 or email Diana.Rivas-Smith@heart.org any questions regarding your gift.

Remember your Open Your Heart gift might be eligible for a matching gift from your employer!