Heart attack survivor and Laguna Beach resident Diane Berger sets her sights on entrepreneurship with Cards w/Cause, a handcrafted stationery line where all of the profits will benefit a heart disease research program.
In 2014, as she started her regular swim work out, Berger experienced a slight tingling in her left arm that would change her life but also her perceptions of heart disease.
Berger learned she suffered from spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), an inner layer of a coronary artery splits. She was originally misdiagnosed, almost causing her death. During her recuperation, she began making cards to both raise funds for research and promote awareness of this disease, which is the top cause of heart attacks in women under 50 as well as pregnant and new mothers.
The cards are sold in sets of 10 with 15 personalized labels and also carry a message about SCAD. The cards can be personalized for the appropriate occasion with a choice of labels.
“I exercised, maintained my weight, ate heart healthy, didn’t smoke and had no history of heart disease in my family and yet there I was having a heart attack,” Berger said in a statement. “That’s why I think it is so important to get the word out about this under-researched and often misdiagnosed disease. We are all at risk.”
All profits will be given to SCAD Research, Inc., based in Scottsdale, Ariz., which supports research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Every card is an opportunity for education and conversation.
In honor of Heart Health Month, Berger has designed a special limited edition Valentine package. For more information about these and other card options, please visit www.cardswithcause.com.
