Five years ago, Richmond Wynn nearly died from a heart condition. Now, he\u2019s raising money to support others with the same condition.<\/p>\n
Wynn, an associate professor of public health, is also the vice president of community engagement and partnerships at the University of North Florida. On Oct. 2, Wynn joined a group from UNF for the 20th annual First Coast Heart Walk. The event, held by the American Heart Association, raises money for heart disease research and supports health programs, according to the AHA website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Five years ago, Wynn suffered from a condition called an aortic dissection. The condition, associated with high blood pressure, caused Wynn\u2019s blood pressure to rise and the walls of his aorta to separate.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew something was wrong when my left leg was just numb,\u201d said Wynn. \u201cFast forward to getting to the hospital and a cardiothoracic surgeon told me what was going on. \u2029I thought it was my leg. Turns out it was my heart. And so it required emergency open heart surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n While the surgery was successful, Wynn had another episode two months into recovery when his heart valve started failing. This led to another open heart surgery.<\/p>\n Since then, Wynn manages his blood pressure with medication and he considers himself lucky to have survived.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t survive it. They don\u2019t survive the surgery or they don\u2019t get to the hospital because it\u2019s such a deadly, deadly occurrence. Some people have strokes during surgery or just die on the table or die in early recovery. So I\u2019m very, very fortunate to be alive,\u201d said Wynn.<\/p>\n The 2026 Heart Walk was Wynn\u2019s second time participating. He enjoys hearing about other survivors\u2019 experiences and set a personal fundraising goal of $5,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n While he raised only $700, Wynn said he is happy to give back to the community.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be a part of a community of people with some similar lived experience,\u201d said Wynn.<\/p>\n Wynn recommends that Jacksonville residents who want to support people with heart disease connect with the AHA<\/a> and local hospitals such as Baptist Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n