By Nyesha Stone
People walking for a great cause along Lake Michigan at the American Heart Association’s Greater Milwaukee Heart & Stroke Walk/5K Run. (Photo by Nyesha Stone)
When Aida Green was born, the technology wasn’t available to detect her heart issues while she was still in her mother’s belly. As an infant, Green had trouble eating or being fed, which eventually led to her mom getting her daughter tested. The test results found four heart defects, main airway passage blocked, main valve leakage, two crooked arteries and a hole in Green’s heart.
Green had what’s considered a partial corrective surgery. Since the surgery, Green goes back every year to make sure she stays healthy. Despite her condition, Green said she’s lived a pretty healthy life without a lot of scares.
Now, Green’s worries are not so much on herself, but her youngest son, Aidan, who has the same rare congenital heart defect as her.
Aidan was diagnosed around 18 weeks old and has already had two corrective surgeries.
“I want him to live as normal of a life as he can, whatever his normal is,” Green said in an American Heart Association video.
Green considers herself a survivor and wants the same for Aidan.
Both Green and Aidan, along with Green’s oldest son, participated in this year’s American Heart Association’s Greater Milwaukee Heart & Stroke Walk/5K Run. Green brought her two sons on stage when she told her story. She expressed her appreciation for events like these that raise money to help people like her and her son.
“Lives are being changed and impacted like me and Aiden’s,” Green said about American Heart Association’s efforts.
According to moderator Adrienne Pederson, the audience for this year’s walk was even bigger than last year. And with the help of the 2019 Milwaukee Heart Walk Chair Paul Neuberger, the American Heart Association surpassed its goal and raised $1.4 million.
The American Heart Association hopes the walk’s crowd grows every year, along with the funds raised.
For more information and resources or to donate, visit https://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/wisconsin/milwaukee.