American Heart Association - Illinois

08/11/2026

❤️Today’s students are tomorrow’s pioneers.❤️

inspires us to celebrate the past, present & future leaders creating the world we thrive in!

Go Red For Women honors the trailblazers who paved the way, the innovators driving progress today and the aspiring STEMists preparing to change the world!

We're excited to have Metro Chicago Board Chair and past Chair, Emily Chase, share a special message in honor of International STEM Day.

▶️ Hear Emily's advice for future STEMists, read by Chicago Go Red For Women Development Director, Taylor Bollenbeck.

Keep going, future STEMists. Know that your friends at the American Heart Association are cheering you on every step of the way. And always remember:

"Your STEM interests are part of a bigger purpose."
⚗️🧬🔬⚛️

Who inspired your STEM journey?



Photos Courtesy of: Lynn Renee Photography

06/11/2026

Scientific Sessions is underway! ❤️ And this year, we’re proud to welcome the global cardiovascular community to Chicago — right here in the city where the American Heart Association was founded more than 100 years ago.

Over the next several days, leading experts, researchers and healthcare professionals will come together to share the latest science, exchange ideas and help shape the future of cardiovascular health.

A special week for our organization, our city and the mission we’ve been advancing for more than a century. Welcome to Chicago!

04/11/2026

Our 4th Annual Bites of Recognition is in full swing! 🎉

Today, we’re proud to celebrate the incredible community collaborators who help advance health and well-being across Chicago.

These organizations are trusted pillars in our communities—meeting people where they are, addressing some of the city’s most pressing health challenges, and creating meaningful change every day. Their commitment, innovation, and partnership make our work possible.

As we gather together, we’re taking a moment to recognize and thank these outstanding organizations for their unwavering dedication, creativity, and passion for improving lives. This event is just one small way we can express our deep gratitude for all they do in support of our shared mission. ❤️

Thank you for helping build a healthier Chicago—one community at a time!

03/11/2026

Some people support the mission. Others live it.

We're proud to recognize Shelby Wolf, Development Director for Chicago Go Red for Women, as a recipient of the American Heart Association's national Living the Mission Award. One of the Association's highest staff honors, the Living the Mission Award recognizes employees whose actions inspire others and bring our mission to life in extraordinary ways.

After hearing a call for help on a Chicago street, Shelby stepped in to perform CPR on an unconscious woman until EMS arrived. The woman survived, thanks in part to Shelby's courage, quick thinking, and lifesaving training.

For Shelby, whose family has been affected by cardiovascular disease, the experience reinforced why our mission matters. Whether she's leading Go Red for Women, spreading CPR awareness far and wide, running the Chicago Marathon with Run With Heart, or helping save a life, Shelby exemplifies what it means to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

Please join us in congratulating Shelby on this well-deserved national recognition. ❤️🏆

30/10/2026

Strokes can happen to anyone. Knowing the signs can be the difference between life and death.

Today on we hope you took some time to learn more about heart and brain health. We also hope you celebrated the stroke survivors in your life.

When someone is having a stroke, the minutes matter. Knowing how to B.E. F.A.S.T. is critical and can save a life. If you see or experience:

❤️B – Balance Loss
❤️E – Eye Changes
❤️F – Face Drooping
❤️A – Arm Weakness
❤️S – Speech Difficulty
❤️T – Time to Call Emergency Services

Thank you to our survivors, Minnie Watkins, Brady Johnson, and our expert physicians, Dr. Karen Orjuela and Dr. Ali Rada Eltatawy from Uchicago Medicine for helping us get the word out about stroke awareness in Chicago. Your stories are a powerful source of information — and information is key to prevention in the fight to make stroke a thing of the past worldwide!

28/10/2026

is TOMORROW and we're proud of survivors like Minnie Watkins, who prove every day that there is life and art after a stroke.

Days before her brother's funeral in 2020, renowned Chicago portrait artist Minnie Watkins noticed she was having balance issues. She asked her friends to take her to the doctor, where she learned she'd had an ischemic stroke that led to mobility problems on her left side.

Though Minnie painted with her right hand, the stroke also impacted her vision and facial recognition — a crushing loss for a portrait artist.

Minnie eventually regained feeling on her left side and learned to walk with a cane.

She shifted to abstract paintings to continue her artistic expression and tell her story of life and artistry after a devastating stroke.

Last year, the American Heart Association commissioned one of Minnie's paintings to be turned into a mural in Los Angeles in celebration of Stroke Month. Minnie continues to share her story in the media and on panel discussions. Most importantly, Minnie is showing with every color, line and painting that you can create your own comeback story after a stroke where you get to be protagonist, hero and, most importantly, A SURVIVOR.

Go Minnie!

28/10/2026

We are thrilled to recognize the results of Hy-Vee's Life is Why campaign, which raised more than $315,000 for the American Heart Association's mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are so grateful! www.heart.org/LifeisWhyCampaign

27/10/2026

Big news for women's health, and Chicago is helping lead the way. ❤️

A new landmark framework from the American Heart Association and partner medical organizations is changing how we think about cardiovascular health in girls and women by recognizing the critical connections between heart health, hormonal health and reproductive health throughout a woman's life.

We're especially proud that Chicago-based cardiovascular experts Dr. Sadiya Khan and Dr. Amanda Marma Perak played key roles in advancing this groundbreaking work.

Together, this work has the potential to improve prevention, care and outcomes for millions of women and girls.

Learn more: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/leading-health-groups-redefine-heart-health-for-girls-and-women

26/10/2026

25/10/2026

Grateful Hearts + Meaningful Connections = One Incredible Circle. ❤️

Chicago’s Grateful Hearts Reception brought our Circle of Red Society community together for an inspiring evening of connection, shared stories and powerful conversations about women’s heart health, with local health experts sharing insights and practical ways to take action for our health.

Through Circle of Red, passionate champions come together to deepen their connection to the Go Red for Women mission, build community and help create a healthier future for women.