Heart and Stroke Walk Comes to Easton Sunday

Madison Powell and John Simon were born half a century apart.

One of the things they share: they both have a history of heart ailments. In Powell's case, it was something she was born with five years ago. For Simon, it was a late night heart attack at 49.

They have something else in common as well. Powell and Simon are the co-chairs of the Lehigh Valley Heart and Stroke Walk, which will be held for the first time in its more than 20-year history in at Riverside Park, Easton on Sunday.

Simon, 55, a graduate of , and president and CEO of General Supply Company, Bethlehem did not encounter heart disease until he was an adult.

Six year ago he squared off against heart disease when he suffered a massive heart attack in the middle of the night.

Doctors at Easton Hospital determined his attack was in the coronary artery, which leads to sudden death and it commonly known as the "widow maker"

Within the hour he was in the cardiac catheterization lab where staff and Dr. Thomas Little, cardiologist, placed a stent to open the artery.

"Because of their swift action, I have no permanent damage to my heart muscles. I consider myself very lucky and that’s why I've decided I need to give back to the community," said Simon.

Along with radically changing his diet to mostly chicken, fish and turkey, Simon engages in moderate exercise recommended by AHA.

After several years of being marginally involved with AHA and tossing aside his diet of cheeseburgers and ice cream, Simon was approached to chair the walk that will have more than 2,000 walkers strolling along the river.

"I really took some time to decide whether or not I wanted to do this. It’s not because I wasn’t passionate about AHA but whether I could make a difference at this level," said Simon.

Confident he made the right choice Simon will share his story about changing his lifestyle with the hopes of educating others about cardiovascular disease, the number one killer of Americans.

"Being the chairperson has been one of the best decisions I could have ever made in my life.  It will bring me the greatest satisfaction if I know that I changed even one person’s life," he said.

Powell, a kindergarten student at , was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a rare heart defect that involves a hole in the heart, narrow pulmonary valve, an overriding aorta and thickening of the right ventricle.

When her mother Amanda was five months pregnant doctors detected the congenital defect and she and her husband, James, learned that her unborn child would immediately require open-heart surgery.

"It was a lot to process," said Amanda, a third grade teacher at Wilson Elementary. "And when I did process it, I was devastated," she said.

Doctors at Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, delivered Madison via cesarean section. Amanda was unable to hold her but did lay eyes on her for several seconds before she was whisked across the street to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Four days later surgeons operated on Madison’s walnut-sized heart encased in her 5-pound body. Although they performed a “full repair” by replacing her pulmonary valve and sewing a patch over the hole, Madison will face one more surgery to replace her pulmonary valve.

"Looking at her today, you would never guess what she has been through," said Amanda.

Like any other typical 5-year old, Madison began her academic career two weeks ago and will be walking alongside other kids and adults with heart disease while leading her team called “Madi’s Angels”

"Nothing stops her,” said Amanda."Looking at her today you would never guess what she has been through. She loves school and has a ton of energy."

The walk begins at 10 a.m. Sept. 18 at Easton Riverside Park. Registration and festivities begin at 8:30 a.m.

The goal of the 2-mile, noncompetitive walk is to help raise awareness and funds to support the American Heart Association. You can register by contacting Diana Skowronski at 610-867-0583, ext. 225, or visit the Lehigh Valley Heart Walk website.