Katie Hinson
This year, the American Heart Association and MUSC Health are teaming up in a community art therapy project: Strokes for Strokes. Open your Heart honoree Katie Hinson is dedicated to helping stroke survivors and caretakers heal through art therapy. The therapeutic art will be displayed at the Charleston Heart Ball on April 12, 2019. Last year, our Heart Ball campaign raised more than $391,000 allowing us to fund lifesaving research, create public awareness, and promote advocacy initiatives, all of which are designed to build a healthier place to live, work and play.
At only 5 years old, Katie didn’t know how to explain how scared she was about having open-heart surgery so she drew lots of pictures of herself and her heart. Today, she’s back at the very place she had that surgery and now helps other little (and big) patients express their thoughts and feelings. The Strokes for Strokes program, which takes place the third Wednesday of every month, encourages stroke survivors and caregivers to heal through art, one paint brush at a time.
Our mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been fighting heart disease and stroke, striving to save and improve lives. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide, and stroke ranks second globally. Even when those conditions don’t result in death, they cause disability and diminish quality of life. We want to see a world free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.