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A (S)hero’s Story

I just read this story about a truly heroic young woman who began her journey into chronic and, ultimately terminal illness at the tender age of 16. Jessica Melore, in my mind, was a true warrior. At 16, while having dinner with her family, she suffered a massive heart attack from which she was not expected to survive. Upon awakening from that experience, she found that her leg had been amputated due to infection, and she was being kept alive on a heart pump. During her senior year of high school, she received a heart transplant and in the fall was able to attend Princeton University, where she graduated with honors.

In this TEDx talk, Jessica talks about how her dream career was to be a public speaker. She got her wish and became an internationally known motivational speaker, but absolutely not in the way she envisioned. She found her calling in the field of organ and tissue donation. Jessica’s mission was to bring awareness to organ donation and the plight of those who are waiting, or die waiting, for a suitable organ to be available.

Not only did she have her early and continuing heart challenges, and ultimately had to undergo another heart transplant along with a kidney transplant, but she developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma three times before her death at the tender age of 37. When Jessica was going through cancer and losing her hair for the third time, she decided to donate it before it fell out. Through it all, Jessica always maintained a positive spirit.

Stories like this one inspire me to do better, be braver and do what I need to do to get the message about health out there. It’s important for women to learn about their heart health and to know that it can happen to anyone at any age. Do not think that heart disease is only for the elderly or the unhealthy among us. This young woman was an athlete, never smoked, never drank and never used drugs.

The message I take away from this story is to live your life to the fullest. Take care of each other including yourself, be a good person, live in service to others, bring awareness and aid to the underserved and leave this world a better place because you were in it.

This is the last message Jessica posted on social media just before she passed peacefully into the next realm.
“Thank you for all your healing prayers and well wishes. Thank you for your support. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to know you and love you. Love, Jess.”

Are you dreading the holidays, knowing that you won’t be able to wear the same clothes on New 
Years that you wore at the beginning of the feeding frenzy we call the holiday season? Are you worried that you might undo all the good you have done recently for your health? Do you think you might go off the rails with your food choices? Do the holidays get really stressful and cause you to make food choices that may not be very healthy? 

If any of the above scares you, I can help you get through the next two months with my Healthy Holidays program.  And you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your home.  

I am offering SPECIAL PRICING until THURSDAY 11/21 for anyone who signs up by then. The regular price of this program is $297 but until 11/21, the price is only $247…that’s a $50 savings!

If you would like to have a free consultation about the Healthy Holidays program, click here to schedule a no strings attached call.

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Karen

I’m a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and I specialize in helping women who live with or are at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, lose weight and avoid medication.

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