Sep. 12--Pat Ward-Schumann of Paducah may look like the picture of health, but last year she had her second heart stent put in at age 52.
"Ten years ago I went through the same thing," she said. "I thought I was too young. At the time, I was told women didn't have heart attacks. They just died."
She didn't want to be the next statistic. She went to the doctor after experiencing severe chest pains.
"It doesn't run in my family, but it felt like someone was grabbing my heart and squeezing as hard as they could," said Ward-Schumann, a former smoker. "It could have developed into something worse."
Ward-Schumann will participate in the American Heart Association's Heart Walk on Saturday at Noble Park. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 9:15 and the walk at 9:30.
The Cruisers will perform during the walk, and games and face painting will be available for children.
Ward-Schumann and some Lourdes employees got a head start by walking on the hospital's new walking trail on Thursday. Walkers received free Dippin' Dots by walking the paved trail, located between the hospital and Lourdes Medical Pavilion, during a kickoff reception.
Medical Pavilion employees Elizabeth Baker, Delores Toon and Ginger Hobbs walk the trail a few times a week. Three and three-quarter laps equal a mile.
"It's very nice," Hobbs said. "It beats walking the parking lot."
Lourdes public relations coordinator Suzanne Farmer said the hospital hopes more employees will take advantage of the trail after the entire campus becomes tobacco-free on Jan. 1.
Smoking was only prohibited inside the facilities, but the new policy will not permit smoking on any grounds or parking lots as well.
"We're encouraging employees to take a walk break instead of a smoke break," Farmer said.
Angie Kinsey can be contacted at 575-8657. To see more of The Paducah Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.paducahsun.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Paducah Sun, Ky. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Paducah Sun, Ky.