Miami Proud: Heart Sistas founder champions better living to fight heart disease
MIAMI - North Lauderdale resident Hyvelle Ferguson Davis gathers around a table of healthy salad options and encourages a group of women to get in there and try new stuff. It's a cheerful group, but it grew from desperate times.
Davis nearly died at age 41 of a stroke and a heart attack and made major changes to her lifestyle starting with food. She shows the scars that are part of her journey and remembers that dark time when in recovery she was nearly about to give up.
"When you have one breath one moment you assess your life, and you slow down," she said.
She had a history of diabetes and heart disease in her family but had not prioritized her health or the risk factors.
"We have all that type of stuff in our family that we don't even discuss because it's nothing that we talk about," Davis said.
After emergency quadruple bypass at Broward Health, she survived, but struggled emotionally. She was extremely grateful for the doctors who saved her and the therapists, and the information they provided. But aside from the twenty-one pills she was taking she needed to make more changes.
"We as Black women, we are strong for everyone. But in my vulnerability there always strength, I found connection; I found purpose."
In her quest to improve her health and break a cycle of generational heart disease, she got deep into nutrition, gardening, growing her own food, and while attending seminars she made a startling realization.
"Here I am, 41 years old in a room, and I'm the only Black person," said Davis.
That moved her to start a group online called "Heart Sistas," recruiting friends, sharing info, and empowering them. Women like her and like her sister Judith Ferguson Missick, who has lost 60 pounds with the help of the group.
"We almost lost her and by the grace of God she is with us and not only is she surviving this but she's thriving - she's in a thriving community she pulls us up."
The goal is to keep up the motivation, like starting every day with a group chat check-in.
"I'm asking them, 'Hey girls! Who's walking? Post pictures!' It's not about a marathon, we can do a block and that's fine because now we are being accountable to ourselves," said Davis, adding "I can control my destiny and when I see my children today - I know I'm changing their life."
She swears by the little changes that can lead to big results. And the Heart Sistas is just one way Davis gives back, she's also an ambassador for the American Heart Association, and speaks about her journey often, saying she truly wants to change the world.
