SCADaddle 5K raises awareness for heart condition affecting healthy women

Survivors of spontaneous coronary artery dissection, or SCAD, and their supporters gathered at Payne Park in downtown Sarasota for the Southwest Florida 5K SCADaddle for Research on April 14 to raise awareness about the little-known condition.

SCAD occurs when a tear forms in one of the blood vessels in the heart, causing a heart attack. According to SCAD Research, SCAD is the number one cause of a heart attack in women under 50 who are often healthy and don’t have risk factors for heart problems.

“Today, you only see four of us that are survivors, which speaks volumes because over 85% that have this die,” said Sherlock. “If you asked anyone of us why we think have this, we all couldn't give you a definite answer because there's so much to be known. Doing stuff like this is a great start to the get the word out.”

Sherlock said the event was also an opportunity to meet other SCAD survivors, including the event’s organizer, Tracee Murphy. 

“We’ve all been through the same struggles, and we all came out ahead of it,” Sherlock said. “Hopefully, we can help make a difference.”

The event, which featured a silent auction, 5K race and kids fun run, raised $25,000 for SCAD Research, a grassroots organization dedicated to raising funds for research on SCAD.