Hundreds walk in support of heart health and stroke awareness

Hundreds of valley residents converged on Civic Center park in Palm Desert Saturday morning for the Coachella Valley Heart and Stroke Walk.

This is the first time in 24 years three valley hospitals combined forces in support of heart health and to raise funds for life saving research.

Staff from Desert Regional Medical Center, High Desert Medical Center and JFK Memorial Hospital were out to show support of heart and stroke awareness.

Many survivors were there walking among the rest.

“It means what we do each and every day is worth it. It means the investment in physicians, staff, equipment is worth it. And when you see people walking around, if they had not gotten to the facility in a timely manner, it makes me feel good as a CEO,” said Carolyn Caldwell, President and CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center.

One of those survivors is Dan Dotson from American Auctioneers.

“The 16th of June 2014, I had a double aneurysm and I didn’t have a very good chance to live. And my wife and child did some initial CPR and got me going and then they limped me over to Desert Regional and they brought me back to health,” Dotson said.

Now Dotson is thankful to be one of hundreds alive and walking.

“I have little or no deficit and I’m just so happy to enjoy my life. And I’ve had a year and a half to live my life and even if it was five minutes it would have been a lot of time,” Dotson said.

Those who understand how debilitating these diseases can be said education is the first way to prevent the disease.

“Time is muscle and time is heart and it’s so important that when anyone has any time of symptoms they come to the emergency room,” Caldwell said.

With the hundreds at the walk the three hospitals get closer to that goal year after year.

And Dotson is living proof, keeping his sense of humor and his life.

“I’m not running, I’m gonna walk it. I thought I was going to get an Uber service to the end but I’m gonna walk it,” Dotson said.