THE BIONIC COWGIRL

THE BIONIC COWGIRL
When the Villain Was Cardiac Arrest & the Hero Was an ICD
Personal Story by Hannah Keime

I am Hannah Keime, co-Founder of HeartCharged, and this is my celebration of an additional decade of life. I call it my ‘Didn’t Die Day’. It is the anniversary of my sudden cardiac arrest in my sleep as a teenager.

As a filmmaker who loves all things cowboy and western, I choose this way to celebrate my milestone and hope it can help create more ‘Didn’t Die Days’ for many others.

In the story of my life, cardiac arrest is the villain and my ICD is the hero. At 10 years, my hero is about ready to retire and soon I’ll be getting a new one. 

I’ve been quite emotional this month, thinking how long it’s been. It makes me feel old a little. I won’t lie but hitting 10 extra years is quite something, especially thinking about how much life I’ve gotten to live during this bonus decade. And I don’t take that lightly at all. I definitely don’t have the proper words to express how I feel about it all. 

Somehow I didn’t die today 10 years ago. Somehow my aunt got the correct diagnosis and she decided to share. Somehow my mom bypassed my pediatrician and I got an appointment in enough time to receive the correct treatment especially in enough time. I’ve recently learned that I have a very rare form of HCM and that form carries a high chance for sudden cardiac death. 

Living through sudden cardiac arrest matured my teenage self very quickly. It gratified my heart more than it already was and has led me to my very consuming work through HeartCharged trying to ensure many more survivors and provide patient-to-patient support. 

I believe in one minute this video clearly communicates the why of receiving an implanted device. My ICD saved my life six months after receiving it. ∎
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HeartCharged (www.getheartcharged.org) invites you to Stop preventable deaths. Prepare yourself and your community for a sudden cardiac emergency. Ensure heart conditions are found and treated. Share patient-to-patient information. Understand and embrace the HeartCharged Warrior life.

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