T \u2013 Talk About It:<\/strong> Talking about dissection is critically important: dissection often runs in families due to underlying genetic aortic conditions such as Marfan syndrome and related conditions. Family members may require genetic testing to diagnose these conditions, assess risk, and ensure appropriate medical monitoring. Survivors of dissection need support and community to thrive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\u201cAn aortic dissection is an extraordinarily scary, life-changing event,\u201d said dissection survivor and Marfan Foundation board member Joaquin Ramos, Jr. \u201cI am blessed that the medical team treating me when I dissected knew the signs and saved my life. At 38, I didn\u2019t know I had Marfan syndrome \u2013 a genetic aortic condition \u2013 and a much greater risk of a tear in my aorta with the power to end my life. Many people like me are unknowingly sent home from emergency rooms to die due to lack of awareness.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Joaquin.jpg\")
Marfan Foundation Board Member Joaquin Ramos, Jr.<\/p>\n
Lindsey Rusche, Leader of Think Aorta Canada said, \u201cAs someone living with aortic disease, I know how critical it is to be heard and taken seriously. Think Aorta Canada is here to make sure every patient\u2019s story leads to faster recognition, better care and saved lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Likewise, for those like Lindsey and Joaquin who received surgical intervention quickly and survived aortic dissection, talking about dissection with family to assess genetic risk and working through the complexities of survivorship can be important parts of the recovery process.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Aortic Hope, a patient-led charity, we\u2019re dedicated to supporting patients, survivors and caregivers impacted by aortic disease. Through connection, resources and community, we strive to bring hope and healing to those navigating these challenging health journeys,\u201d said President Aortic Hope & Think Aorta US and survivor Carin Andersen.<\/p>\n
People living with genetic aortic conditions like Loeys-Dietz, Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS), Marfan and related conditions have aortic dissection risk that is about 250 times greater than that of the general population. Many are unaware of their conditions. Conversations with family about risk and genetic testing save lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLoeys-Dietz syndrome affects the aorta, the body\u2019s main artery. In this condition, the aorta can be prone to tearing (dissection), sometimes even at smaller diameters and younger ages than in other similar conditions. Because signs can vary from person to person, early recognition makes all the difference. With timely diagnosis, early genetic testing, and monitoring, individuals and families can take proactive steps to stay healthy. In Canada, improving access to care starts with awareness. This Aortic Dissection Awareness Week, we invite everyone to Think Aorta, Think Family\u2026and to think Loeys-Dietz syndrome,\u201d said\u00a0Jida El Hajjar, Executive Director at the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation Canada.<\/p>\n
GADA, which also serves Canada, focuses on education, advocacy and research. \u201cGADA is proud to join a united effort for Aortic Dissection Awareness Week, raising awareness of the signs, risks and urgency of this condition to help protect hearts and save lives,\u201d said GADA Executive Director Linda Malone.<\/p>\n
Saving lives is heartfelt work for volunteers like Bridget Porter \u2013 who supports both the Marfan Foundation and the John Ritter Foundation in memory of her son Connor who was lost to aortic dissection at only 13 years of age.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Connor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bridget-porter-and-family-before-conoors-passing-1024x719.jpg\")
Connor (center) passed from aortic dissection at 13. His family raises awareness to spare others from loss. <\/p>\n
\u201cSpreading love, hope and awareness fills our cup and helps us to make meaning of our devastating loss\u2026if not us, then who? Now that we understand the price of not knowing \u2013 it\u2019s our mission to spare others our devastating loss in honor of our sweet Connor,\u201d said Porter. Porter emphasized the need for increased awareness about genetic aortic conditions and elevated aortic dissection risk. \u201cConnor had many of the \u2018tell-tale traits\u2019 indicative of Loeys-Dietz syndrome but went undiagnosed despite a consult with genetics and frequent specialty visits,\u201d said Porter.<\/p>\n
President and Executive Director of Rock from the Heart Amy Johnson summed up the life-saving spirit of this inaugural aortic non-profit organizations\u2019 alignment. \u201cWhen organizations come together with a shared purpose, our impact multiplies. By collaborating across the aortic community, we can reach more people, spread life-saving awareness further, and ensure that no one facing aortic disease feels alone. Together, our voices are stronger, our message is louder, and our reach is wider.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For media inquiries:
April Dawn Shinske, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, the Marfan Foundation
<\/strong>brandcomms@marfan.org
<\/strong><\/p>\nRelated Links<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t![\"Avatar](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cropped-ads-headshot-1-300x300.png\")
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
April Dawn Shinske is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for The Marfan Foundation. She is proud to lead a stellar integrated marketing and communications team and honored to help tell the amazing stories of our community members.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By April Dawn Shinske Goal: Raising awareness of STAT: Suspect, Time is Critical, Aortic Imaging, Talk About It…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":206169,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[113431,113432,815,113433,113434,113435,159,113436,113437,113438,67,132,68,113439],"class_list":{"0":"post-206168","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-aortic-dissection","9":"tag-aortic-dissection-awareness","10":"tag-genetics","11":"tag-john-ritter","12":"tag-loeys-dietz","13":"tag-marfan","14":"tag-science","15":"tag-the-marfan-foundation","16":"tag-think-aorta","17":"tag-think-aorta-think-family","18":"tag-united-states","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-us","21":"tag-veds"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/206169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"2025](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ADAW-25-Header-Image_Joint.png\")
\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1_STAT-1024x1024.png\")
<\/p>\n