June 2000

Education to Heal Broken Hearts

What began as trouble breathing turned into a frantic emergency. Her heart failed, backing fluids into her lungs and shutting down her kidneys. Now in cardiac arrest, paramedics fought to save her life.

Only two days earlier Lonnie and John Myklebust had experienced the indescribable joy of bringing a new life into this world; Nicholas. Now, the unthinkable was happening. Clinging to life-support, Lonnie Myklebust was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a heart disease occurring with pregnancy.

Life-Changing Information

During the second night she dramatically rebounded. Unable to talk she wrote the word "prognosis."

"I didn’t care what my diagnosis was," says Myklebust. "I was only concerned with my prognosis. I wanted to know if I was going to live or die."

She wouldn’t find too many answers; no one really knew. So the first request Myklebust made to her cardiac team was for information. She was brought information from the American Heart Association, Sedgwick County Division, a United Way-funded agency.

"The information gave me the hope to continue my fight for life," says Myklebust. "Right when I needed to know what was going on, basically a ‘how to’ manual was delivered to me with all the information already compiled from a very credible source—it was very comforting to see the (Heart Association’s) logo."

According to Myklebust, the American Heart Association is practicing a powerful form of medicine. "It’s medicine for the emotion and mental side of having a serious illness. I take 15 pills a day, but when you’re told that your disease is only treatable, not curable; or that you have a life expectancy of four and a half years, it’s the information and encouragement that begins the healing process."

Teressa Hayes, program director, American Heart Association, Sedgwick County Division, reiterates that point. "The most important help we give comes from our research and education. Heart disease is a sensitive condition that can change from day to day. The information we give is so important because it saves lives."

The Heart of a Champion

Today Myklebust is winning the fight. She has started her own support group for younger people with heart conditions—with information kits provided by the American Heart Association—and in February she went back to work, as executive director for The Sedgwick County Democratic Party.

Myklebust says that it’s important to have a game plan. Contributions to United Way help fund continued research and education which support that plan.

"This research is very significant," says Myklebust. "The research that’s going on now is research that will continue to save my life."

Call United Way of the Plains at 267-1321 to find out more about how your money is helping our community.