This series spotlights Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic colleagues who are participating in the American Heart Association’s Philadelphia Heart Walk on Nov. 1.
When Beatriz Rodriguez, a community health worker at St. Mary Medical Center, laces up her sneakers on Nov. 1 for the American Heart Association’s Philadelphia Heart Walk, she’ll be doing so with one mission in mind—to raise awareness about the importance of support groups for those with a deadly heart disease diagnosis.
In June 2011, at the age of 67, Beatriz’s beloved grandfather, Antonio Rodriguez, passed away from a ruptured valve caused by regurgitation heart valve disease. This condition occurs when a heart valve’s flaps don’t close properly and the blood flows backward into the heart’s chamber.
Though Antonio was referred to specialists, it was too late by the time he sought out treatment. After receiving the diagnosis, Antonio kept the news to himself for some time, fearful and unsure about how to move forward and disclose his condition to his loved ones.
“I don’t want anyone to ever feel like they can’t get the help they need once they hear the news. I don’t want anyone to think that they should keep it to themselves and not share it. I wish my grandfather did share that on time for us to help him, but he didn’t because of not knowing what to do and the lack of knowledge that he had about the diagnosis,” says Beatriz. “I want to see more support groups. When someone gets a diagnosis, they should be referred to someone to speak about it instead of being scared and in the dark. To me, that was just so lacking at the time.”
Beatriz is no stranger to the Heart Walk, having participated even before becoming a colleague of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. For her, the event serves as a coping mechanism, allowing her to find some joy in the darkness. In fact, her eldest son now walks with her, with the pair crafting picture pins of Antonio to carry with them along the route.
“I didn’t have any other way to just let it out and be comfortable thinking of and honoring him. Now I realize that it’s okay to share his story because maybe I can help someone else. Maybe they’re going through something similar. It can bring what happened to my grandfather to people’s attention,” says Beatriz. “It’s important to educate yourself about this and surround yourself with the right group of people around you to help.”
“I didn’t have any other way to just let it out and be comfortable thinking of and honoring him. Now I realize that it’s okay to share his story because maybe I can help someone else. Maybe they’re going through something similar.” – Beatriz
The Heart Walk opened the door for Beatriz to begin sharing fond memories of Antonio with her three children. She looked at him as a father figure, someone she could talk to about anything and always receive the best advice. A true family man, Antonio essentially raised his grandchildren, all while maintaining a fairytale romance with their grandmother. Beatriz also vividly remembers his selfless nature. On a regular basis, he cooked meals and distributed them to homeless people in the neighborhood.
“My grandpa, he was always nobly serving out in the community with anything he could. He was a very loving husband to my grandma and that was really wonderful to see,” says Beatriz. “I still miss him, but I’ve come to a place in my life where I want to talk about it because I want to help other people.”