Books for the Heart

I heard about this challenge from A Reader's Respite, who got it from 1morechapter. They are both taking the opportunity this February to raise money for the American Heart Association and challenging us to do the same (or to fundraise for your local heart health organization).

Last month we made a run up to Missouri to visit my parents. I love visiting my parents, but this was not a typical visit.

My father had gone to the cardiologist for a stress test and the doctor hadn't liked what he saw. He ended up having an angiogram and having a stent inserted in one of his arteries. We left about 3am on Friday morning to drive up. We arrived about half an hour after my mom retrieved my dad from the hospital. In his case, this process ended up being a blessing in disguise. The blockage where they inserted the stent was at 80%. There were two others at 30%. Any of these could have caused a heart attack if not treated. My father's father and both my grandfather's parents died from heart attacks. Without the doctor's intervention, that could have been my father, too.

This isn't the only heart-related health concerns in my family, but it is the most recent and the biggest incentive for me to participate in the Books for the Heart reading event. There are lots of ways to participate. You can donate in a loved one's name. You can donate a set amount. You can donate an amount per book or per page. The original version of this challenge runs from February 1 - 14. Since I'm getting started late, I'm going to commit to donating $5 for each book I read during the month of February.

Will you join in this event?