Our sweetest and dearest girl Tara suffered a STEMI (Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction) which is the most severe type of heart attack on Thursday, August 12th. She was life flighted from the Ely hospital to Essentia Health Duluth where she was immediately brought down for surgery. Her surgeons were luckily able to place a stent to save her life!

We both want to stress that her heart attack symptoms were not typical of what we understand. As most of us know we should be alarmed if we have extreme shoulder /arm/ chest pain or feel like an elephant is sitting on our chest. These were not her symptoms at all! Her symptoms were not these but what many women feel when enduring /surviving a heart attack. The evening before she had started feeling extreme pain in her throat, jaw and neck which wouldn't abate. She compared it to having every single tooth being torn out. Her throat felt right, like it was hard and closing in upon itself. She couldn't rest, took pain relievers, tried to walk it off but the pain continued. It continued until she just suddenly felt like she was in trouble. It was at this time Matt brought her into the hospital. Do not ignore your symptoms ladies. So many of us die because we ignore the unusual.

Our girl had a stent placed in what seemed to be a genetically defective artery (tiny in size). She spent a couple days in cardiac ICU and is now home with her boys!

Tara will be starting cardiac rehab soon and she is excited to do so! She feels like she's been given a new lease on life! She's excited to begin this new and wonderful phase in her life but also terrified at the same time. This amazing, courageous and determined woman is scared! It's completely normal to feel this way but try telling her that!

What I'm asking of you, of everyone that knows Tara or has simply had the blessing of her graciousness, is to give her the helping hand that she and her family deserves. I've known this beautiful girl for 20 plus years and I know she can pinch pennies like nobodies business. NOW is not the time for this angel on earth to have to do so. Now it's the time that WE, her friends come together to help pinch those pennies for her. It's her time to focus on healing, living and loving life for all it is! We can do this! Time to help our girl ❤️❤️❤️