In 2003, when I was a sophomore in college, my grandmother suffered and passed away from a stroke. As a sophomore in college, I created an awareness and support group for patients suffering from a stroke, then the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. The group focused on providing earli(er) screening for stroke patients presenting with non-specific complaints in the ER, educating the Baltimore community about stroke risk factors and symptoms, and working with patients undergoing physical rehabilitation after stroke.
.
15 years later, The Johns Hopkins University Heart and Stroke Awareness (HASA) group is still going strong. Programs include a partnership with Snyder Center for Aphasia Life Enhancement Center (SCALE) to assist patients with aphasia, community health fairs and healthy eating demos on-campus!
.
I'm looking forward to working alongside this great group from afar this year:)