Woman dies singing karaoke, sister shares story to help others
Click here for updates on this story
MOBILE, AL (WALA) — It was supposed to be a night of fun for Laura Cummings. “She was singing We Belong to The Night by Pat Benatar and a minute into her song she collapsed, explained her sister, Sarah Smith.
A heart attack at age 36. Looking at pictures of her sister, Sarah remembers her as always laughing.
“I think my uncle described her best. That she was a zagger so when people would zag and I really feel like that describes her. She was always trying to do something fun and make people laugh.”
A staggering one in three women are killed by heart disease ever year, according to the American Heart Association. The significance of the phrase one in three — taking a different meaning for Sarah and her family. Her sister was one of three siblings. She was also one in three women living with cardiovascular disease.
“It never occurred to us that someone 36 years old and in seemingly good health would have a cardiac episode like that…and they couldn’t fix her….her heart unable to beat on its own,” Smith said.
She had complained of heartburn about a week before, only she didn’t know it was a potential warning sign for heart trouble.
“You don’t have to wait until you’re 40 to see a cardiologist…you never know what’s going on in your body and it’s always good to get it checked and have a good base line,” Smith warns.
She says no one is immune to heart disease even when there’s no previous diagnosis. It’s a lesson her family learned…but wants to spare others from.
“If could see her now I would tell her that I love her and I miss her.”
She says self-monitoring is key. Women, like men, should keep track of their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and know their family histories.
Smith will be one of the guest speakers at the 2020 Alabama Gulf Coast Go Red for Women Luncheon. The event will be held at Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa on Friday, February 7, 2020 from 10 a.m. – 1p.m.
Health screenings 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch, guest speaker, and panel from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. The luncheon also features a panel discussion featuring area experts in women’s health and wellness, a silent auction, and more.
Individual tickets are $75, payable in advance. To purchase tickets and for more information, please contact Taji Kirkland at taji.kirkland@heart.org or visit algulfcoastgored.heart.org.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
