2019 Spokane Go Red for Women® ambassadors
This group of inspiring local women are championing the fight against heart disease and stroke in our community. Each ambassador has a personal connection to cardiovascular disease or is championing the cause. Join them in supporting the heart and brain health of Spokane residents.
Peg Currie is your 2019 Go Red for Women Luncheon Chair. Throughout her career as a registered nurse caring for patients, Peg is intimately familiar with the devastating toll heart disease and stroke can have on women. She also is encouraged by the active role we all can take to prevent heart disease and stroke. When Peg’s not leading those providing care throughout the region, she finds work-life balance by spending time with her family and fly fishing. Through individual lifestyle changes and funding the next scientific breakthrough, together we take a stand and make an impact in the fight against cardiovascular disease.
Laura Papetti has a long-time personal commitment to the 'Go Red' movement and the American Heart Association. Her mother Leslie has survived two heart attacks and multiple procedures because of the advancements made in part by the American Heart Association. Laura has long emceed the Go Red for Women Luncheon and looks forward to February as a celebration of heart health, women, and survival. As a television journalist, Laura uses her connection with the community to encourage people to learn their family heart history and take control of their own cardiovascular health. As a mother to Isabella, Laura knows it's so important to encourage the next generation of women to 'Go Red' and forge a future of heart health. Laura is currently the Director of Community Marketing & Journalist at KREM 2 in Spokane, WA. She has an 11-year old daughter and is married to Greg Heister.
Casey Bantz was getting ready for work one morning when she felt like she had a sudden onset of heartburn, but the worst case she could imagine. It seemed strange after just waking up, so she continued to get ready. And then things got worse: sweating, hot flashes and numbness in her arm. It was at that moment Casey realized she need to call 911, and it was good she did. Once at the hospital, they confirmed that at, just 35 years of age, Casey had experienced a heart attack. Casey shares her story to encourage women to not “shrug things off,” and if something feels wrong, no matter what your age, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Claudette Kenmir was a young, healthy woman of 45 who was leading a stress-filled life. She noticed she had begun to experience headaches, but she thought it could be due to a new medication. One morning she woke up and felt “funny.” That funny feeling led her to the doctor, then to the hospital where she was told she had suffered a stroke. Due to prompt medical attention, Claudette recovered and remains committed to sharing her story to shed light on the fact that stroke can strike at any age and women should take charge of their health. About 80 percent of stroke can be prevented with lifestyle changes, including management of your important health numbers and this is a step all women should take.
Jennifer Volland woke up one morning feeling a little “off.” She did not have a family history of heart disease or high blood pressure, and it never crossed her mind that at age 50, she might be having a heart attack. She wasn't really experiencing much pain, except in her upper arms, and a little dizziness, so the flu and other maladies came to mind. But she felt like everything was going a little 'haywire'. Even though she suspected the flu, Jennifer made the lifesaving decision to wake up her husband and ask him to get her to the hospital. Once there, she learned that she had, in fact, suffered a heart attack. Jennifer shares her story to encourage women to pay attention to their bodies and if they feel like something is wrong, trust your intuition and go get it checked out immediately.
