Eric Thomas Open Heart Foundation walks for a cause

Heart problems may affect someone you know. And leaving those problems unchecked can be deadly.

COLUMBUS, MISS. (WCBI) – Heart problems may affect someone you know. And leaving those problems unchecked can be deadly.

According to the CDC, in 2021 one in every 5 people died due to cardiovascular disease.

One group in Columbus is hoping to raise awareness about heart disease and how it can be prevented.

The Eric Thomas Foundation held a heart walk and health fair today.

“I wanted to do something to bring awareness to our community because so many people suffer with heart disease and don’t even know that they have heart problems. I wanted to bring awareness so people won’t kind of have to go through what I went through,” Thomas said.

This is very personal to Thomas.

“I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2018. I was doing fine but my heart wasn’t pumping the proper supply of blood. I went to specialists in Memphis and then to UAV and that is where they recommended me to get the L-VAT. The L-VAT is designed to help pump blood to your major arteries to help blood flow throughout your body. So I decided to go ahead and have the surgery to prolong my life,” Thomas said.

Born from his experience, Thomas decided he wanted to help his community by encouraging them to be healthy and to go get checked for heart conditions.

“The big purpose of this is to bring awareness. Especially African American men that they will go to the doctor now and even if they are feeling fine go to the doctor now and just get a routine checkup. Don’t wait until the check engine light is on, go now and get checked up to make sure that you are ok,” Thomas said.

They also hosted a health fair, featuring local nurse practitioners. Erica Horton, Owner of Rezilient Hope Wellness Clinic said they want to be able to educate the community.

“We partnered on this event with the Eric Thomas Open Heart Foundation to get information out to the community. We really want to impact people with education and let them know that heart disease can be prevented, that we can treat high blood pressure, and we can help to prevent some strokes we can help to prevent some heart attacks with the right information,” Horton said.

Thomas said they hope for this walk to become an annual event.

For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and X