52 www.Char l e s tonWomenPodcas t . com | www.ReadCW. com | www. Ins t ag ram. com /Char l e s tonWomen Matter is the only nonprofit of its kind, focusing specifically on the heart health of service members. It has recently begun making waves along the military-rich coastline of our state. Vega’s military connections run deep. Her grandfather was a marine who served during World War II and her husband of 21 years, Lt. Col. Javier Vega, just celebrated his 27th year in the Marine Corps. Because Vega and her husband have moved 11 times as a married military couple, she has regarded volunteer work as a way to get involved in the places she has lived, to grow her resume and to give back to the one community that never changed — the military family — all while also focusing on raising her three children. Vega’s advocacy has not gone unnoticed by her colleagues, peers and family members. She counts among her many achievements and accolades being named the 2019 US Marine Corps Spouse of the Year and 2019 Military Spouse of the Year. In 2022 she was nominated by her son and named South Carolina Mother of the Year by AmericanMothers.org. “I never went into it thinking I was going to get something out of it or be recognized for it, because volunteers don’t think that way — you just do the work,” said Vega. “It was my outlet, it’s a free way of trying different things — and because you get to help people, you gain so much from it.” MILITARY HEARTS MATTER In working closely with her military family and fellow spouses, Vega started hearing more and more firsthand stories about health concerns and heart-related issues that were not being widely addressed or openly discussed. That’s when she first identified a need. “There’s a stereotype that the disease doesn’t touch the military,” offered Vega, “that heart disease is only for the old or unhealthy.” However, the statistics paint a different picture. Vega added, “Military personnel and their families have well-documented markers for heart health issues that include stress, lack of social support and poor nutritional choices.” Family history plays a major part as well, and Vega is actively working to dispel myths around heart disease and that it only impacts the aging or unhealthy. Military Hearts Matter employs a data-driven approach to raise awareness, to develop networks for support and to drive legislative and actionable change. In 2021, the group conducted a first-of-its-kind heart health survey involving over 900 diverse participants from all branches and ranks of the armed services. The results illuminated what Vega already suspected; participants had risk factors for possible cardiac events including sleep issues, anxiety, tobacco use and high levels of stress. It revealed that 37% of participants had an EKG or ECG during their military career but were extremely concerned that reporting a health-related issue would negatively impact their positions. Almost half said they had not been offered the opportunity to improve their heart health through the military system. Vega knew then she was onto something. She was beginning to fill in a gap. HEART HEALTH, WOMEN AND NON-MILITARY While Vega’s work primarily focuses on the military community and their families, she is quick to point out that heart health is something we should all be more cognizant of, especially women. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in American women, averaging one death every 80 seconds. Vega offered a few tips to our fabulous readers about how to keep those hearts healthy. These are techniques implemented in her own household for staying healthy and promoting a strong heart: 1. Get good sleep. Eight hours or even more per night is the gold standard. Charleston Women in Philanthropy Hol l y Vega . Vega with mi l itar y fami ly.
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