After a cardiac event with little warning, Rose McCormick, started taking advantage of the women’s heart resources available through the Parkview Heart Institute. Her daughter, Kristy Ford, wasn’t far behind her.
How did your heart journey begin?
Rose: It started back in 2012. I thought I was having an anxiety attack, but it didn’t go away. I was overwhelmed with work, so I didn't think anything about it. I just didn’t think about my health a lot back then. A couple days later, I had this dull ache in my chest. I called my daughter, Stephanie, and asked her to come over and help me look up what a heart attack felt like. I didn’t have any of the symptoms. This all started on a Monday, and by the following Thursday, I decided it was going to hang around. I called the doctor's office, and they sent me to the hospital. They took me to a room, pumped me full of all kinds of things, hooked me to an EKG, and then the doctor came in and told me I’d had a heart attack.
I had one appointment at another health system after that, and they told me if this happened again, I would die.
How did your heart attack change your approach to your health?
Rose: Hearing that really bothered me. It also worried me that I didn’t even know I was having a heart attack the first time. So, I switched and went to a Parkview doctor, and that’s when I learned about the support group. I knew it was for me. I needed some help. I went to that first meeting and have been going ever since.
You were part of the first Her Heart Challenge back in 2016. What was that experience like for you?
Rose: I learned about the Her Heart Challenge through the support group. That was a great group. I signed up and had my interview. I got something out of every meeting. People can be dumbfounded about what they don't know and how much there is to learn. And it's not our fault, people don’t talk about it. The education part is so important.
What lasting changes have come from your participation in the support group and Her Heart Challenge?
Rose: My biggest concern has been that I never have any warning. About a year and a half ago, I went to the walk-in clinic for a head cold. I found out my heart was racing too high. I was in AFib. About a week later, I went back and my heart rate was 40. They sent me to the hospital in an ambulance. I needed a pacemaker. I had no idea my heart rate was doing that. No symptoms. I’ve had “Buddy” (my pacemaker) ever since, but it reinforced that I needed support and education.
I still go to the support groups every month. They’re very helpful. Even if we have the same speaker once a year, they change their agenda, and so we still are learning different things.
Rose is an ambassador for the Parkview Heart Institute, visiting women admitted for cardiac events every Thursday morning, offering encouragement and resources.
Rose: It’s been rewarding because some of them do open up, and let me know that they're afraid of what's going on with their bodies. I let them know that when you come to our meetings, you can ask any questions, and if they don’t know the answer, they will find it, so we're never left in the dark. We give support. And I let them know that anybody can come. They don't have to have a heart issue, because the fact is, learning is for everybody.
Kristy, you participated in the Her Heart Challenge in 2023. Was it your mom’s health event that inspired you to apply?
Kristy: It was that and to get the extra knowledge for my personal health journey. I felt like I needed to learn what she learned so we could be on the same page.
What did you take away from the challenge?
Kristy: The nutrition information, especially around processed, toxic foods. We learned what to avoid to maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol. And then the friends I made along the way as well, I'm still friends with them today. We try and meet up when we can.
Rose, how did it feel watching Kristy go through the challenge?
Rose: I was proud. We're in this together as a family, and I want to make sure that they can keep themselves happy and healthy and not worry about what might be going on because they're taking care of themselves.
Kristy, do you attend the monthly support group meetings now?
Kristy: Oh, yeah. I actually did before the challenge. Right after my mom’s heart event. My three sisters also attend when they’re in town, too.
What sort of healthy changes have you introduced as a family?
Rose: I eat one or two less cookies!
Kristy: That’s true!
Rose: I don't eat processed as much anymore. You just have to read labels all the time to find out what is and isn't healthy.
What would you say to someone who is considering the support groups or the Her Heart Challenge?
Rose: All the programs are good. My family has learned from all of them. The questions people ask might be something they’re wondering, but forgot to ask their doctor, or want to spend more time discussing. Bring them to the support group. There are people out there who have the same issues and want to learn the same things.
Kristy: I call it my little safe environment. There is nothing you can't ask. You're surrounded by a group of women who are mature and supportive. Jill [Zahm, MSA, RN, AHN-BC, program coordinator, Parkview Heart Institute] has been very helpful if I needed anything, especially with going through things with my mom. If she doesn’t know an answer, she goes and finds it. And she does that for everyone. Just come and try it.
Call 855-762-7762 to learn more about services available to you through Parkview Heart Institute.
You can apply for the Her Heart Challenge any time. Classes are selected in May, with final applications for the 2026 class accepted through May 31. Find the application here.
Join the Her Heart Support group at any time. View the schedule here and choose a date to see the topic for that month.
