By: SEBASTIAN PHILLIPS
Spreading the word about heart disease prevention and its role in women’s health has become a life cause for Martha Mosier.
According to the American Heart Association, one in four women in the United States will suffer from coronary heart disease in her lifetime, the number one killer for women in our country, surpassing all cancers combined. That sobering statistic left Martha Mosier cold—until she decided to do something about it. Drawing on her company’s tradition of philanthropy, the president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties soon established a task force to get the word out about the disease and relay information about its correlation to women’s health. But that was just the beginning.
Looking back, becoming an advocate for heart disease seems like it was meant to be? Do you recall how it all started? It was meant to be. It began with a Zoom meeting with three women from the American Heart Association. At the time, I was not looking to take on any projects, but within the first five minutes, I discovered the statistic about how one in four women will suffer from coronary heart disease in her life and how heart disease kills more than all cancers combined. I had no idea that 350,000 adults suffer from heart attacks in the U.S. each year and that women are far less likely than men to receive CPR after cardiac arrest. In the last 18 months, I had lost two men and a dear girlfriend to fatal and sudden heart attacks, so I felt a tremendous tug at my heart and an overwhelming feeling that this request from the AHA was happening for a reason. I agreed then and there that I would use my and our company’s platforms to advocate for women’s heart health awareness.
Did you know much about heart disease before all this? Almost nothing. I thought it was an “older men” disease. This was quite an education.
Tell us about the team you established. Team REalHeart incorporates our intention—that we will pour our hearts, our “real hearts,” into this initiative. The “RE” in our name stands for real estate.
What have you accomplished so far? We are raising awareness through all channels of communication. We’ve engaged thousands of followers on social media with statistics about heart disease and advice on seeking attention as soon as symptoms strike. And we are well on our way to raising our goal funds for the research and continued messaging in Southern California.
Do you see your role in the fight against heart disease continuing after this particular effort is over? Absolutely. We will continue to advocate for as long as it is needed.
www2.heart.org/goto/marthamosier; @marthabhhscalifornia