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AHA Heart Walk Sept. 17
At 40 people strong and still growing, the BWH Clot Busters is the largest BWH-led American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Walk team. Uniting the team are members' dedication to patients and enthusiasm for cardiovascular disease prevention and education.
“My philosophy is to build a community and the funds will follow,” said Team Captain Samuel Z. Goldhaber, MD, staff cardiologist and director of the Venous Thromboembolism Research Group and the Anticoagulation Service, of his recruitment technique. “We have a close group with high morale. With 10 days to go, we've raised more than $4,800.”
The enthusiasm of Goldhaber and his staff-they even ordered team hats-has inspired many of their patients, families and friends to join, forming a team with members of all ages. Among those patients is Danalyn Adams, a heart transplant patient of Goldhaber, who was the first female heart transplant patient to complete the Boston Marathon. She will walk with her family as part of the BWH Clot Busters.
Garnering support for the AHA comes naturally for Goldhaber and his staff because they work with many patients suffering from Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a condition where blood clots form in the pelvic and leg deep veins. The AHA supports studies of DVT as well as pulmonary embolism, which occurs when clots break off from the leg veins and travel through the heart to the pulmonary arteries.
Ruth Morrison, RN, BSN, CVN, who has worked in the Venous Thromboembolism Research Group at BWH for 18 years, is proud to be part of the “BWH Clot Busters.” She will walk with her daughter Kiley, a nursing student at Northeastern University who works part-time in BWH's Anticoagulation Service. Morrison and Goldhaber run a support group for patients with DVT and pulmonary embolism.
Because DVT and pulmonary embolism can affect anyone, “We have a lot of people to reach,” said Morrison. The Clot Busters' participation in the Sept. 17 Heart Walk is another step toward that goal.
BWH teams continue to raise funds toward the hospital's goal of $110,000. Support a colleague online at www.heartwalk.kintera.org/bostonma