A young man will really be showing his heart this weekend as part of a fundraising relay for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
The Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club is holding a 24-Hour Relay at the club in Campbell Business Park, starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Among those participating will be Shane Lehman, 23, who has been waiting for a heart transplant for three years. Lehman was playing for the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League when a virus attacked his heart. He currently has a left ventricular assist device in his heart to keep it going while he waits, and he’ll be giving that a good workout as he starts his 30-minute leg of the relay on one of the club’s treadmills at 3 p.m.
“I want to take part in this event, to let people know the importance of getting checked out if you feel something is wrong. Don’t let your pride get the best of you,” he said in a press release. “I also want to let them know the importance of signing your donor card, and talking to your family about it.”
— GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader