Wendy and Brian Barze share personal journey to chairing the Birmingham Heart Ball
Wendy and Brian Barze will chair this year's Birmingham Heart Ball, an event that has raised millions for the American Heart Association over the years.
"It's a cause that's very personal to our family," Wendy Barze said.
Their advocacy for heart health began with their second-born son, Jay.
"When he was eight days old, he was sort of rushed to the emergency room in respiratory failure," Wendy Barze said.
"It turned out that Jay had a coarctation of his aorta, which basically means that your aorta is sort of crimped like a straw in half," Wendy Barze explained.
Newborn Jay needed open-heart surgery urgently.
"We did our research, we did our homework, we talked to doctors and friends all over the country, and we looked at going to Cleveland. We looked at going to Boston, Miami, I mean, some of the best cardiothoracic pediatric surgeons. And everybody we talked to said, you don't need to go anywhere. You're in Birmingham, you're in the best place. Stay home. You're going to get the best care in Birmingham, Alabama," Brian Barze said.
Under the care of top doctors, Jay's surgery was successful.
But just two years later, the Barze family faced another heart issue.
"I was diagnosed with something called atrial septal defect, which is a hole between your two upper chambers of your heart," Brian Barze said.
"So at 35 years old, I had open-heart surgery. It went without a glitch. And it has been very successful," he added.
More than 20 years later, both Brian and Jay are healthy and thriving.
"We're so excited to be sharing the Heart Ball to give back and to raise money and awareness and really promote what the American Heart Association has done for people like us," Wendy Barze said.
This year, the couple is taking their advocacy to the next level by chairing the Birmingham Heart Ball.
"It's a huge undertaking. They have a really large financial goal, which is important to reach, because when we reach that goal, they're able to do all the things that they intend to do," Wendy Barze said.
The funds raised will support initiatives like providing defibrillators for local schools, offering CPR training, and funding research in the local cardiology community.
"If you look at what Birmingham in the community has given to the American Heart Association over the years, what gets returned to Birmingham in the community from the American Heart Association is about three times what is donated locally," Brian Barze said.
For Wendy and Brian, advocating for the American Heart Association is also about showing appreciation to the cardiology community in Birmingham.
"At the end of the day, all you want to do is seek out the best care, the best treatment, the best professionals, the best doctors. And we have that here locally, which is amazing," Brian Barze said.
The Birmingham Heart Ball will take place Saturday night at the Birmingham Country Club. Tickets are sold out. 米兰体育 13's Guy Rawlings and Sheri Falk will emcee this year's event.