On Friday, February 2, 2007, Americans nationwide will celebrate National Wear Red Day by wearing Red to show their support for women’s heart disease awareness.

This day has particular meaning to me because both my grandmother (Granny, as I still call her even at the age of 41 – - me, not her) and my good friend, Kristine, have experienced what it’s like to have a bit of a problem with their tickers. Thankfully, they were both blessed by God and the best medical care available and they are doing well. Had they each not had routine checkups that detected their problems, who knows what may have happened.

National Wear Red Day is a key activity of The Heart Truth, a national campaign for women about heart disease, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). NHLBI introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in February 2003, to help spread the word that heart disease is the #1 killer of American women.

By wearing red—whether it is a red dress, shirt, or tie, and encouraging your colleagues and friends to do the same, you will be sending a lifesaving message: “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear—It’s the #1 Killer of Women.”

We gotta help take care of each other.