Feb. 1 event calls attention to heart problems in women
It's time to put your red dress on. Or a red scarf or red blouse, jacket, socks or tie. It's time to love your heart.

I am like many of the women you know. I could be your sister, your wife, your best friend, your neighbor or daughter. I could be your mother. I'm also one of the lucky ones - one of the thousands of New Jersey women who survive a heart attack, stroke or heart surgery every year. I'm a survivor of sudden cardiac arrest and open-heart bypass surgery at the age of 39, and an American Heart Association Go Red for Women survivor ambassador.

On Feb. 1, National Wear Red Day for Women, I will be one of the millions of women and men in New Jersey and across the country going red. We wear red and go red to celebrate life and to raise awareness that heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of women in our country.

We also go red to honor the nearly 14,000 New Jersey women who died this past year due to stroke and heart disease.

Please visit www.GoRedForWomen.org and take the free Go Red Heart Check-Up to learn your personal risk for heart disease over the next 10 years. Wear red on Feb. 1. Wear for yourself or for the women in your life.

Joan Ferraro

Freehold