🛟 What If the Treatment That Could Save Your Life Is Still Being Tested?

Hey friends, ❤️‍🩹

I wanted to share something that’s been on my heart — and honestly, a big part of why I’m still here.

Saying yes wasn’t easy. It meant trusting a system that wasn’t built for women like me.But that “yes” gave me life — and a purpose to change what wasn’t meant for me.

❤️‍🩹 Most Women Don’t Realize How Left Out We’ve Been

It’s time to change that.

Even though heart disease is the #1 killer of women, we’re still underrepresented in the research meant to save us.

Here’s what the numbers show:

• Even though just as many women as men get heart disease, women aren’t being studied nearly as much.

• Out of everyone who joins heart-related research studies, less than half are women.

• In studies on heart failure, only about one out of four participants is a woman — and that number hasn’t changed much in more than 15 years.

• For studies testing new heart devices — like valves or pacemakers — only about one in three participants is a woman.

That means a lot of what we know about heart treatments comes mostly from studying men, not women.

When women aren’t included, doctors and researchers don’t have the full picture of how treatments really work for us.

It’s like trying to finish a 1,000-piece puzzle with half the pieces missing — you might see part of the picture, but never the whole story.

⚠️ Hard Truths We Need to Face

• Women are less likely to be referred to specialists or advanced care — which means they’re often never even asked to join a trial.

• Older women, the group most likely to have heart problems, are often excluded because of their age or other health issues.

• Many women — especially women of color — don’t trust the research system. And who can blame them, given the history?

• The time, travel, and childcare it takes to participate make it almost impossible for moms and caregivers.

• And here’s a big one: less than 10% of clinical trial leaders are women.When women aren’t in the room designing or leading studies, those studies rarely reflect women’s realities.

This isn’t just about being invited to participate — it’s about being recognized for the role we play in shaping medicine’s future.

🧠 Clinical Trials: The Reason We Have Modern Medicine

Clinical trials are the reason we have the treatments we depend on today.Everything from Advil to insulin to pacemakers started in a clinical trial.

Here’s how I think about it:

🚗 The Test Drive: Before a new car hits the road, it’s tested for safety and performance. Clinical trials do the same — they make sure treatments work safely for all kinds of people.

💊 The Prescription Before the Pharmacy: Every pill in your medicine cabinet had to go through a trial before a doctor could prescribe it. Someone took that step first.

🍳 The Recipe for Better Medicine: Trials are like testing a recipe. If only one type of person tastes it, you’ll never know if it works for everyone.

🫀 The Lifesaver That Started as an Idea:That heart valve keeping me alive? It wasn’t even FDA approved when I got it.I was one of the first women in the U.S. to receive the EVOQUE — a lifeline still being tested.Because I said yes, it’s now approved — saving lives every day.And I’m living my healthiest, happiest life because of it. 💜

🙏 The Promises That Keep Me Going

When I was in Mary’s Therapy Room — fighting for every breath and praying for one more chance — I made promises to God.Promises I didn’t know how I’d ever keep.

This is me making good on that promise.

Don’t disregard what could change your life because of what you’ve heard or read.Find out for yourself. Ask questions. Learn what’s possible.

Hope often hides in the things we don’t yet understand.

💫 Learn More & Take the First Step

We’ve spent decades being invisible in data.It’s time medicine starts seeing us — and hearing us — for real.

Every woman who says “yes” to research leaves a legacy — one that turns hope into healing for generations to come.

Saving lives is part of it — but for me, it’s about faith, purpose, and keeping the promises I made when I was fighting just to breathe. ❤️‍🩹

💥 Your Voice Can Save Lives

Don’t wait for the system to notice women — be the reason it changes.Take five minutes today to search for a heart study near you or share this post so another woman can find her second chance too.

⬇️⬇️Global Heart Hub Clinical Trial Initiative ⬇️⬇️

👉👉 https://clinicaltrials.globalhearthub.org/en/search

#HeartBridgeCollective #Heart2HeartTalk #WomenInTrials #PatientVoice #TricuspidValveMiracle #HospiceSurvivor #ClinicalTrials #ClinicalTrialAwareness #ResearchMatters #WomenInResearch #GHH