By Judy Vorfeld

Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States? So says the Centers for Disease Control: one in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, equal to 2,200 deaths per day.

“So…” you might say.

I get it. Not everyone is touched by heart disease. About six years ago my brother, David Crook, had a heart attack, & was quickly taken to a great Phoenix hospital where they did a five-bypass surgery. It really hit home when the doctor said, “Yes, I held his heart in my hands. We fixed it, and now everything is working fine.”

And it is. We often go out hiking and photographing. And he hikes regularly with his daughter, Michelle. Plus doing 101 other things daily.

Why not learn what you can about heart disease on a global basis? Find a nonprofit or NGO to support either in the U.S. or overseas.

For example, Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian has a project that has saved over 80 children’s lives, and he does most of it through donations. He’s a consultant paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, and is chairman and one of the co-founders of the Dr.Mani Children Heart Foundation.

“Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) are a lethal constellation of birth defects of the heart that affect millions of newborn infants and children worldwide; a killer that claims thousands of lives every year,” says his website. “Eight of every 1000 children born alive (0.8%) will have some form of congenital heart defect.”

You’ll find many excellent nonprofits in the U.S. that provide life-saving surgery and other types of support for people with every kind of heart disease.

Find one. Or consider Dr. Mani’s group. But do something. Raise money. Or raise awareness. Give web/blog support; give time, give money. Whatever works for you.