Sabres, KeyBank team up for 'Women's Heart Healthy Workshop'

Anna Heerdt learned through personal experience the importance of women monitoring their heart health – and advocating for themselves when something feels wrong.

Heerdt, who now works as associate marketing communications manager for the American Heart Association, recalls the battle it took for her mother, a heart transplant survivor, to be properly diagnosed.

“It took her three different times of trying to tell someone she was dying for them to realize she was in end stage heart failure,” Heerdt said. “Because it wasn’t on their radar. She was a healthy, 48-year-old woman. Nobody thought that would happen.”

Empowering women to listen to their bodies was a primary goal of the “Women’s Heart Healthy Workshop” held at KeyBank Center on Tuesday, made possible by partnership between the Buffalo Sabres, KeyBank, the American Heart Association, and ConnectLife.

The event was the latest installment in the Sabres and KeyBank’s HocKey Assists Program, which was founded this past summer with the mission to “inspire pride and possibility throughout Western New York” through a variety of platforms, including educational outreach.

The topic of women’s heart health was a natural fit for the program given its close ties to the Sabres family. Sabres owner Kim Pegula suffered a cardiac arrest on her 53rd birthday in 2022; her daughter, Kelly, administered life-saving CPR.

This past summer, Carolina Matovac, the fiancée of Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, experienced heart failure. She, too, received life-saving CPR and is continuing to recover from a heart transplant.

The Sabres’ wives and girlfriends participated in the planning of Tuesday’s workshop and were in attendance in support of Pegula and Matovac.

“What those two ladies have gone through, it’s really important that we bring in awareness for all of us, to know that what’s happened to them could easily happen to all of us,” said Gaye Ruff, wife of Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.

• Women's Heart Health Resources: Go Red For Women | Preventing cardiovascular disease | Learn more about heart failure | CPR instruction

The workshop featured two speakers, both of whom were handpicked by KeyBank corporate responsibilities officer Chiwuike Owunwanne.

Rosalind Burgin, who emceed the event, is a triple bypass survivor. Melissa Archer, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, shared her story of performing live-saving CPR on her husband, Dr. Fred Archer, a local pediatrician and associate dean of admissions for the University at Buffalo.

Both speakers – as well as many of the roughly 175 attendees, which consisted of Sabres season ticket members, partners and community members – were women of color. This was an intentional effort on behalf of KeyBank and the Sabres to recognize the fact that heart disease disproportionately affects Black women.

According to the American Heart Association, among females 20 years of age or older between 2021 and 2023, 59.5 percent of non-Hispanic Black females had cardiovascular disease.

“If we’re going to have a conversation in terms of creating awareness and promotion, from my perspective and for us to be intentional about it, we do have to essentially bring the people who are most impacted to come get that information and education,” Owunwanne said.

The American Heart Association shares additional data on its Go Red for Women page regarding congenital heart diseases, which is the No. 1 killer in women. Key points include:

• Nearly 45 percent of women ages 20-plus are living with some form of cardiovascular disease.
• Less than half of women entering pregnancy in the U.S. have optimal cardiovascular health.
• Women’s unique life stages, such as pregnancy and menopause, can put them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The organization stresses the importance of “knowing your numbers” and how they pertain to risk of cardiovascular disease: total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index.

Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, pain in the arm or jaw, shortness of breath, and nausea, among others. But cardiovascular disease can also present as a respiratory issue, leaving some to mistake it for a flu or COVID-19.

A key part of Tuesday’s message to women: When in doubt, go get checked out.

“As a woman, we wear so many hats,” said Shannon Cercone, Development Director for the American Heart Association. “You’re a mom, you’re working, all these different things. And a lot of times if a woman doesn’t feel good, we’re like, ‘Oh, we’ll just rest. Once I go to bed tonight, it will be better.’ And it’s really just looking at things a little bit differently where that’s not always the right move.”

In addition to guest speakers, the workshop included educational stations throughout the KeyBank Center concourse – including one from ConnectLife with information on organ donation, which saved Matovac’s life and countless others.

“At ConnectLife, we believe that building a healthier community starts with education, prevention and access,” said Sara Dina, senior director of communications and external affairs at Connect Life. “We are proud to be part of the Women’s Heart Healthy Workshop because heart health impacts every family in Western New York.

“While the ConnectLife mission focuses on saving and enhancing lives through blood and organ donation, that work begins with strong, informed communities. Events like this empower women with the knowledge and tools they need to prioritize their health, advocate for themselves and support those they love. We are honored to stand alongside the Buffalo Sabres, the American Heart Association and our community partners to promote wellness and lifesaving awareness.”

Crucially, the workshop also included hands-on CPR training with female mannequins, sending attendees home with a life-saving skill and awareness.

“I would say the biggest thing is advocating for yourself,” Heerdt said. “Paying attention to those small changes in your body as you’re going through your life stages and talking to your doctor and really finding somebody that you trust to be your health provider.”