TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – February is American Heart Month, a time to focus on heart health and disease prevention. For Tallahassee resident Carlai Pender, the message is deeply personal.
Pender has lost several family members to heart disease, including her mother, brother, aunt and grandmother. She was just five years old when her mother died from congestive heart failure.
“I have lost a lot to cardiovascular disease,” said Pender, founder of the Carlai Cares Foundation.
Now, Pender is using her experience to urge others to take their heart health seriously and focus on prevention. She says many people don’t realize heart disease often develops years before a diagnoses.
“You don’t get hypertension or high blood pressure at 50,” she said. “It started 20 years ago when you weren’t taking care of yourself.”
She also encourages people to pay attention to early warning signs that are often ignored.
“Now we know if I have a headache, my blood pressure may be up,” she said.
Through her nonprofit, Pender works to raise awareness and promote healthier lifestyles, hoping to prevent other families from experiencing similar loss.
“Just knowing I can save someone’s grandmother or grandfather or great grandmother or great grandfather, that really pushes me and that motivates me to keep going,” Pender said.
Health experts recommend maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly and monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Pender says small choices can make a big difference.
“There’s no award for being the strongest person in the world,” she said. “Self care is more than the hair and nails, it’s also going to the doctor when I’m not feeling the same.”
As part of American Heart Month, Pender is hosting a Heart-to-Heart Community Wellness Day. The event will include heart health screenings, a CPR demonstration, nutrition guidance from a dietician and other resources.
The event will take place Feb. 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Citizens Lodge in Marianna.
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