I had the pleasure of attending the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) Annual Conference as an exhibitor and speaker. This organization does amazing work giving the overall wellness of youth the attention it warrants. There was an amazing line-up of workshops and presenters who spoke on various issues related to all age levels and needs. Another fantastic conference, MAHPERD!
A.T.O.M. held a fantastic conference that educated the trainers on Sudden Cardiac Arrest, its prevalence in young athletes, and options for moving toward control and prevention. Some numbers estimate that as many as 14,000 young people die from an underlying heart condition ever year…that’s 39 children every day! It was very informative, and I ended the program with the perspective of an athlete who has experienced diagnosis and treatment.
What a great GRFW luncheon! The kick-off event promises to be the first of many. There were great informational break out sessions in the morning with focuses in nutrition, sleep and its connection to heart disease, and financial health. I was able to tell my story of survival to the entire group during lunch. The meal finished with a wonderful survivor fashion show that really showcased what Go Red for Women is all about, as women of every age (even as young as 2!) strutted their stuff on the runway while their personal story played in the background. The Lexington…
I just want to thank my amazing family and friends for their support at my fundraiser! I’m certainly a lucky lady…
You have all played a huge role in helping me to this point in my life, and I hope to make all of you proud as I take the stage November 22nd and 23rd in Quincy for the title of Miss Massachusetts USA. Thank you all again!!!
I had a great night speaking to a wonderful group at Journey Studio and Spa in Hyannis. I met the amazing American Heart Association team that is behind the Cape Cod Go Red for Women luncheon that will take place Feburary 11, 2009, as well as the key sponsors and supporting women that make the event possible.
Fall River Spirit article:
Sometimes we overwhelm ourselves.
Yes, I know…you’re saying, “Duh, Michaela…I do that every day.”
There are just so many things that we “should” do in our lives. Ladies, especially, I know how it is…work your full-time job, do your tasks and upkeep around the house, take care of the kids, pay the bills, participate in a bunch of other stuff (PTO, youth soccer, Board meetings, volunteer work, fundraising, etc., etc.)…the list goes on.
I headed out to Toronto to guest speak and meet some amazing children and teenagers who have pacemakers and internal defibrillators (like mine) at an amazing informational and supportive event.
I recently had a class in which our topic and discussion revolved around grief, death, and loss. The professor explained that while this could often be a subject considered taboo, it was something that everyone was going to experience in his or her life. It was something that should be explored and confronted. He went on to assert that every day needs to be cherished, and you should change yourself to be the person you want to be remembered as.
“When you are driving in your car, do you look through your rearview mirror to drive forward? Give this a try…
I was able to be the guest speaker at an amazing conference for young people with ICD’s. I also lead a break out session specifically geared toward young women with cardiac devices. It is the first time I had been surrounded by so many women my own age who have defibrillators, and we had an amazing discussion surrounding stereotypes, problems, issues, triumph, and everything in between. Hope we write a book one day, ladies!
Can I dance? Two words: Hell no. Now, I’ve been known to shake my booty and get down at a family wedding, but I’m pretty sure it’s not overly graceful or rich in talent. In fact, I’m sure it’s entertaining on all the wrong levels…like the ones that involve hysterical laughing.
The thing is, it’s fun! You sweat, you laugh, you feel the burn, and most of the people around you look just as silly. So who cares?!?
On a recent vacation, I decided to attend the Latin-inspired dance classes that were being offered. What did I have to lose? It’s not…
Sometimes it’s easier to simply not know. Often we choose to live in question, rather than knowing the truth.
And it BOGGLES my mind.
Despite all the advances in technology and research, some people just don’t want to be told something could be wrong with their health. Been there. Done that. I used to tell myself it would have been much better to not have found out I have a heart condition so that I could have just lived a regular life…but who knows what could have happened had I not followed through with diagnosis and treatment?
It takes an extreme amount of…
There was nothing I ever wanted more than to play Division I soccer in college. The moment I stepped on the field in fifth grade for the first time, I loved the game. I loved everything about it: the speed, the aggression, the strategy, the teamwork. Right through high school, I was a leader on my teams. I transformed into a fighter who would do anything (legal!) to support my teammates and perform my best. There is nothing in my life that has ever made me feel so alive.
During my senior year, two weeks after soccer season ended, I was…
I met Matt when he was 10-years-old. I was volunteering at an adolescent shelter while in college, and it was my first of many experiences in a youth residential facility. After receiving the proper training, I was instructed to read the files of the children and teenagers living at the shelter. Hundreds of files later, Matt’s story was still one of the most horrific and sickening experiences of abuse I had ever seen, and it still is to this date. Not only was it a miracle this child was alive, but you never would have guessed that Matt had known…
Want to meet some of the most incredible and inspiring people around? Seek out a child who is living with a heart condition. I know there are few people I have met with that much resilience and strength…
Last year I was a guest at PACE Camp, a camp for kids who have cardiac devices. This past Fall I was invited to be a bunk counselor at Camp Meridian, a camp for children with congenital heart defects. In between all of that, I have met so many outstanding young individuals who refuse to let heart disease define them. Let me tell…
Last year I attended the Boston Bruins Go Red for Women night as Miss Massachusetts, and what a night it was…
I educated people about heart disease being the number one killer of women, I sat in the special seats between the two hockey teams’ benches during the third period (man, did it smell!), and I was able to achieve one of my most secret and desired aspirations…yup, you guessed it - riding a Zamboni. With the wind and ice chips blowing in my face, I felt like a true superstar.
I met many other heart survivors that evening, including a beautiful…
Have you ever done something just because you felt it was the right thing to do…and then this seemingly inconsequential action becomes something much greater than you anticipated?
In first grade I met Nicole Safford. Even at 5-years-old, we begin to discover stereotypes: the popular know-it-all, (Jennifer Catalano), the tough bad boy, (Brian Beckford), and the one who gets picked on. Nicole was the one who got picked on.
I’ll always remember that sick feeling in my stomach when Nicole would do something and the other kids would make fun and laugh. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, but…
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