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Editor's note: If you missed the live televised event, you can watch it in the video below.
ORIGINAL STORY:
6 News is teaming up with the American Heart Association to host the One Heart Bell County Live Televised Event.
Presented by the McLane Group, it will air on June 17 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on 6 News and KCENTV.com.
Normally the chapter holds the Bell County Heart Ball, but the pandemic has made it switch gears. Although virtual, it has the same mission.
"Heart disease is the number one killer in America and it's more than all forms of cancer combined, and one person dying from heart disease, heart failure is too many," said Aimee Boswell, the director of development of the Waco & Bell County area for the AHA.
The heartbeat to the AHA: Health, education and prevention.
"To be a relentless force for a world of longer healthier lives, and the way that we do that, we do it in three ways: It's making discoveries, it's educating people and it's changing communities," said Regional Vice President Mid-Markets Michelle Stoddard.
The one-hour live televised event will have survival stories, information about the signs and symptoms of heart disease, heart failure and a healthy heart.
The organization will be counting on the generosity of Central Texans to donate so they can turn right back around and put that money into our community.
"Just to further all of that work and to let people know that little changes, little things that they can do on their own make a huge difference," Boswell added.
Along with her team, Boswell has recently been focusing on cardiopulmonary resuscitation training (CPR) and providing kits to help others be prepared in those emergency situations.
"Due to COVID-19, a lot of hospitals and clinics had to cancel their CPR classes, their in-person CPR classes so a lot of families and expecting families were leaving the hospital without knowing how to perform this life saving training," Boswell explained.
The pulse of the AHA is near and dear to so many Americans and motivates them to make the change. For Stoddard, it's her mother and best friend.
"I do this work so that you know folks don't lose their moms or their best friends or that, you know, maybe we're coming up with the next great thing that's going to prevent that," she said.