North Texas Mom's Journey: Surviving Aortic Dissection Post-Birth and Raising Awareness

A Near-Fatal Experience

• 👶 Carmen David experienced a life-threatening event hours after delivering her daughter, Claire, in 2015.
• 💔 She suffered an aortic dissection, a tear in her main artery, leading to a separation from her baby and a helicopter transport.
• 😥 The experience was so traumatic that Carmen recalls thinking she was going to die and her family looking at her as if it were their last time seeing her.

Recovery and Mental Health Struggles

• 🏥 Thankfully, doctors in Fort Worth were able to treat her condition, but her recovery was slow and arduous.
• 🧠 Carmen experienced severe depression following the physical trauma, struggling to perform daily activities and feeling lost.
• ⚓ As a Navy veteran, Carmen was accustomed to being active, but the fear of overexertion became a constant struggle, impacting her ability to be present for her children.

Founding Run for Aortic Health

• 🚀 Determined to overcome her depression and find purpose, Carmen established the Run for Aortic Health in 2017.
• 💰 Over the past eight years, this initiative has successfully raised over $150,000 to support aortic health awareness and research.
• 💖 The upcoming 9th annual run aims to raise further funds and, more importantly, to offer hope and support to other survivors.
• 🤝 Carmen's mission is to ensure that survivors do not feel alone, connecting them with resources and organizations to aid their healing journey.