The Sophisticate Chronicles

How I became involved? So many people ask why and how I became involved with the American Heart Association and honestly I just knocked on their door. My maternal lineage is riddled with Heart Disease and Stroke. My Uncle was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and needed a heart transplant in order to live. He wasn't able to get on the registry in time and unfortunately their were other factors in place that kept him from receiving the proper treatment that he should have received. He died at the age of 38 (I was 2). My Grandmother was always a healthy and vibrant woman. Outside of having been diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and being a Breast Cancer Survivor, their was nothing else wrong with her. One day she suffered 1 massive stroke and would later suffer from 2 mini strokes. Although she was able to have better care than my uncle which included physical and speech therapy she would die at the age 70 from complications (I was 10). My Mother was diagnosed with Congestive

My mother told me over 13 years ago "You've got to put your tough skin on. Once you put it on, you won't be able to take it off. It will become your armor, your shield, and your protection. Everything won't work out. Everyone won't like you. Everyone won't support. No matter what things may look like. Never Quit. Keep moving forward".  One of my favorite movies of all time is Mahogany. My mother purchased it for me when it finally came out on DVD around that same time. In the movie Tracey Chambers faces many challenges in her life, relationships, and career. However, no matter what she faced (including someone attempting to take her life), she never gave up and did what she had to do. When we are being "moved" to what may seem like the "next level" in our lives, it will require more work, more faith, more patience, and more trust in not only ourselves but God.  We may receive what seems to be the epitome of what God has for us and then