Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection

2013 National Walk

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Another successful 5K Walk/Fun Run for SCAD Research was enjoyed by all on May 4, 2013 at Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve, Naperville, IL. On a beautiful spring day over 160 participants gathered to raise money for SCAD research and education and to reconnect with each other. Many returned this year along with new participants.

Thirty-seven SCAD survivors and their families and friends joined together. Survivors came from across the United States, Canada and as far away as Sweden. Participants also included family members and friends of those who did not survive their SCAD. Individuals who could not be in Naperville walked “virtually” including survivors from Alabama, California, Colorado, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and the UK. Some formed teams to walk with them. Fourteen women walked together in the UK.

Among the participants were members from the SCAD research team at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) including research team lead Dr. Sharonne Hayes and researcher Dr. Marysia Tweet. Dr. Susan Bennett, a member of SCAD Research Scientific Advisory Board and a lead cardiologist in Washington DC, also participated.

Walk/Fun Run sponsors were secured to help defray costs and raise additional money. Walk/fun run organizers obtained food and raffle prizes from local Naperville merchants to add to the festivities.

For highlights of the walk/fun run visit us on YouTube and Facebook

After the walk, survivors and other supporters met for lunch to hear Dr. Hayes and Dr. Tweet talk about the latest SCAD findings. In the evening, survivors and their families enjoyed dinner. A highlight for survivors was sharing their personal stories, which had a common theme of being relatively young, healthy with no known risk factors. Since SCAD is underdiagnosed, it is often difficult to meet other patients. Survivors rely on social media to support each other online. The SCAD Reunion following the walk/fun run is a way to bring survivors together from around the world. As awareness of SCAD grows, more survivors have been able to connect locally as well. Chicagoland survivors Cheryl Crisman, Deb McGarry and Meghan Scheiber organized Survivor Reunion events again this year.

Platinum and Platinum Plus Sponsors for 5K Walk/Fun Run for SCAD Research

We would like to thank the following businesses for being Platinum and Platinum Plus Sponsors at our second 5K Walk/Fun Run for SCAD Research held on May 4, 2013 in Naperville, IL

Bob Alico, president and founder of SCAD Research, Inc. thanked everyone at the lunch for their support and talked about the mission and future vision of SCAD Research, Inc.