Mi nombre es Griselda Mariani. Soy de Argentina, pero he vivido en México durante muchos años. Me gustaría compartir una parte de mi vida, que es muy importante.

Tengo 76 años y, durante gran parte de mi vida, he fumado. Con el tiempo, ese hábito tuvo consecuencias graves para mi salud. Primero sufrí de hipertensión y más adelante me diagnosticaron cáncer de mama. Me hicieron quimioterapia y radioterapia. Poco tiempo después, sufrí dos infartos en el corazón. Cuando los médicos me evaluaron, encontraron que mis arterias estaban severamente obstruidas.

La enfermedad estaba demasiado avanzada como para colocarme un stent, así que me mandaron tomar medicamentos y comenzar una rutina de actividad física regular para cuidar mi corazón.

Desde entonces, tomó mi medicación y camino una hora todos los días. Esa rutina diaria, junto con una alimentación más saludable y chequeos cada seis meses con mis cardiólogos, me ha ayudado a sentirme mucho mejor.

Esta experiencia cambio por completo mi manera de ver la vida. Entendí que tenia que cuidar my salud con seriedad. Hoy invito a todos a vivir un estilo de vida saludable. Llegar hasta aquí ha sido facil, y muchas veces pienso en lo diferente que pudo haber sido todo si hubiera tenido más apoyo para dejar de fumar antes o un mejor acceso al tratamiento a tiempo.

A pesar de todo, me siento agradecida de seguir aquí, leyendo, cocinando y pasando tiempo en mi jardín. Llevo 52 años casada. Con tres hijos y cinco nietos, la vida aún tiene mucho que ofrecer.

Mi mensaje para los demás es que se cuiden y no esperen hasta que sea demasiado tarde. La prevención importa, y también escuchar a los médicos. Por eso debemos garantizar que todas las personas tengan acceso al tratamiento y al apoyo médico que necesitan.

English:

My name is Griselda Mariani. I'm originally from Argentina, but I've lived in Mexico for many years. I’d like to share a very important part of my life. 

I'm 76 years old, and for much of my life, I was a regular smoker. Over time, this habit had serious consequences for my health. I developed high blood pressure and was later diagnosed with breast cancer. I underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Not long after, I suffered two heart attacks. When the doctors evaluated further, they found my arteries were severely blocked. 

The disease was too advanced for a stent, so I was prescribed medication and told to begin regular physical activity to support my heart.

Since then, I’ve been taking medication and walking an hour every day. That daily routine, alongside a healthier diet and regular checkups every six months with my cardiologists, has helped me feel much better. 

This experience was a huge wake-up call that I needed to take my health seriously and I urge everyone to lead a healthy lifestyle. It’s taken a lot to get to this point, and I often think how different things might have been if I’d had more support to quit smoking earlier or better access to treatment, sooner. 

Despite everything, I feel grateful to still be here, reading, cooking, and spending time in my garden. I’ve been married for 52 years. With three children and five grandchildren, life still has so much to offer. 

My message to others is to take care of themselves and not to wait until it’s too late. Prevention matters and so does listening to your doctor. That is why we must ensure that everyone has access to the medical support and treatment they need.

The Government in Argentina needs to do more to get people the treatment they need earlier, and also education they need, for conditions like hypertension. Not everyone is lucky enough and we must do more. 

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Heart disease is the world’s number one killer. 

More deadly than cancer, it claims around 20 million lives a year and is the reason that 1 in 5 of us will die early.

It doesn’t have to be this way. 

Medication to reduce high blood pressure - a major risk factor for heart disease - saves lives by preventing heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes. 

But 4 in 5 people are not getting the treatment they need to control their blood pressure. 

It’s time for urgent action.      

That’s why we’re calling on Governments to act now and commit to helping some 500 million more people get the treatment they need by 2030. 

There’s no time to lose. In the 30 seconds it may have taken you to read this, 20 more lives have been lost. It could be you or someone you love next.

SIGN our petition to call for better treatment TODAY and stop needless deaths.

The World Heart Federation