On Saturday, June 19, in Newport Beach, California, PositiveVibes Magazine was invited to cover the GuardaHeart Foundation charity event: Unmasked Heart Disease featuring DIABETESpredict™ to create awareness of the diabetic health and heart disease crises. GuardaHeart Foundation and DIABETESpredict™ are transforming the world of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, health, and wellness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the financial burden of heart disease is $108.9 billion each year in the US alone. To reduce the risk of experiencing a heart attack, it is important to identify the signs early, as that can save lives. This is where GuardaHeart Foundation comes in. GuardaHeart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to: LEARN, DETECT, PREVENT.” The GuardaHeart Foundation empowers communities through actionable prevention to reduce the risk of heart disease worldwide.
As a community-oriented organization, it actually goes beyond just reducing the risk of heart disease. In the midst of the pandemic, they worked with city officials to support and educate members of different, local communities by providing educational opportunities to help people understand how to prevent COVID-19. They advocate for something they call, “Whole Wellness” which is about taking care of the whole body – physical, mental, and spiritual. They collaborate with organizations to promote a healthy lifestyle of nutrition, fitness, stress management, medical management, and substance abuse education.
Estrella Harrington, the Founder of GuardaHeart Foundation, was inspired to create the organization because when someone experiences a heart attack it will have devastating effects on the person’s health, being, and future if they survive, or monumental effects on the family if the person does not survive. Estrella is a fighter as she shared with us her journey battling stage 4 cancer. She has lived past what she was told, and remains to be an inspiration to many.
During the event, Douglas S. Harrington, MD, who is the Chairman of the GuardaHeart Foundation spoke about DIABETESpredict™ and PULS Cardiac Test. DIABETESpredict™ is an all-ages lab test that evaluates an individual’s genetic predisposition to develop Type 2 diabetes, followed by recommendations based on the results. Anyone who is concerned with developing Type 2 diabetes should look into the test. During the event, DIABETESpredict™ was providing guests with a complimentary test. The PULS Cardiac Test was invented by Dr. Harrington, which predicts someone’s likelihood of experiencing a heart attack within the next five years.
There were many celebrities, musicians, actors, producers, military, veterans, and doctors who were there to support the event. Attendees included: Braunwyn Windham-Burke (RHOC) and girlfriend Fernanda Rocha (RHOC), Dave Meadows (Producer and Military Navy SEAL, Producer), Kayla Tabish (Netflix Cat People), Nick Liam (Netflix Cat People), Nimi Adokiye (Actress, Bob Hearts Abishola) and husband Danny Eley (Director), Simon Lunche (Music Artist), Lisa Hart (TV Host), Annie Nelson (Author & Founder of American Soldier Network), Johnny Walker (American Heroes, the Seals most trusted interpreter), Jason Tuschen (US Navy Seals command Master chief retired Jason), Dusty Lang (Six Gun Sal, Southern Rock Band -Rhythm Guitarist), Matt Geinitz, (Six Gun Sal, Southern Rock Band-Bassplayer), Michelle Ware, DO (Board Certified Physician, Owner of Los Feliz MedSpa), Rebecca Stewart (Owner of VIP Nanny Services), Tyrone DuBose (Actor and America’s Premier R&B Music Historian), Darryle Triplett (Comedian).
We were able to have a conversation with Kayla Tabish of Netflix’s “Cat People” with Maverick the Surfing Cat. After we mentioned what we do here at PositiveVibes Magazine, Kayla shared how Maverick’s brand is all about mental health and how powerful animals can be in transformative wellness. Maverick will be in another series in the coming months, so stay tuned for that.
We had a long and insightful conversation with Ceitci Demirkova, the author of the award-winning and best-selling book “Motivated by the Impossible: Recognizing Your Invisible Mentors.” Ceitci discussed what it means to be motivated by the impossible. She has witnessed people giving up before they experience a breakthrough or a miracle. When we experience setbacks or something we did not expect to happen, we may immediately experience depression, and some of us have a difficult time picking ourselves back up. For Ceitci, throughout her life, she has recognized each trial of life has served as an invisible mentor for her. She has learned from every experience – good and bad. Learn more about Ceitci on her website.
Lastly, we spoke with Annie Nelson, Founder of American Soldier Network alongside Jason Tuschen and Johnny Walker who are both retired Navy Seals. We talked with them about heart disease within the military. Jason shared his story with when he met Johnny in Iraq 20 years ago during Operation Desert Storm. Annie shared with us the dire need to address mental health and suicide in the military. The American Soldier Network is committed to providing a safe space for veterans.
We are profusely thankful for the opportunity to cover this event and for GuardaHeart Foundation’s life-long goal of ending heart disease and saving lives.
Written by Zane Landin
