DES MOINES, Iowa —
For Cassie O’Brien, lifting, lunging, or even running were all things she was told she would never survive to do.
“I was given 30 days to live, so on Day 31, I went cold blue, stopped breathing, and my dad did CPR until the nurses were able to get up,” O’Brien said.
Diagnosed with total anomalous pulmonary venous return, a rare congenital heart defect, at just 2 weeks old, Cassie defied the odds dealt to her.
An emergency surgery, because of technology and research, in part due to the American Heart Association, worked to save her life and granted her decades of normalcy. It also granted her the ability to set a seemingly impossible dream.
The American Heart Association is gearing up to host its annual Go Red for Women event this Friday, Oct. 16, in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Go Red for Women event works to recognize the dangers of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in women.
O’Brien talked to Hearst sister station KCCI about how she won’t let her diagnosis slow her down from running toward her dream.
“I thought, ‘Well, let’s do a marathon,’ why not?” O’Brien said. “I knew it was challenging; running’s always been hard for me, but I can see progress from where I work and the strength training that I do. It’s kind of addicting.”
So, for the last 10 years, O’Brien has worked, completing a 5K and a half-marathon, all with the goal to run a full marathon. But setbacks, including a fractured femur and flare-ups with her heart, have prolonged the ultimate finish line.
“I’ve failed about three times,” O’Brien said. “I think it’s important for other women to see I’m not perfect, I fail, and I do want to do something that might be somewhat impossible, but to make the impossible possible.”
This Friday, between all the training, O’Brien will be joining those at the American Heart Association, like board member Kris DeGraff, to help bring awareness to the overall importance of women’s health.
“This event to me is critically important because this is the one time that we focus solely on women,” Kris DeGraff, chair of the Go Red for Women event, said. “The dollars raised, education provided, and just showing up in a room full of amazing women is beyond inspirational.”
DeGraff added that the one thing in common between those who are involved with the American Heart Association is that they all share a why.
“My mom suffered two strokes in the last five years. The first one changed her life, and the second one almost took her life,” DeGraff said. “So just raising awareness, helping share that with my family has also been incredibly important.”
Whether it’s a family member or a personal battle, together sharing the proper education can save a life. Or at the least, encourage people to chase their dreams, no matter the diagnosis.
“I do have heart disease, but that doesn’t define me,” O’Brien said. “I can still do so many other things and hopefully encourage others to do that as well.”
Following the event, O’Brien has already signed up for her next marathon. She’ll be flying to Honolulu, Hawaii, this December to finally cross that finish line.
