CLEVELAND — Roughly every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, in 2019, someone died of a stroke every 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
For Jaci Yoder those numbers aren’t just statistics.
“He said I’m having a hard time breathing,” explained Yoder.
At 41 years old, her husband, Kyle, died of a heart attack. He was outside doing yard work when he collapsed, Yoder said.
“'I can’t catch my breath,' he’s like, 'Can you go get me some more water?' So, I go in, I get him water, I come out, he sat down, he’s sitting down and the next thing I know we’re just talking, and the glass drops out of his hand, and he collapses on the stairs in front of me,” she said. Her life changed in an instant.
“That changed my involvement,” said Kevin Sloan. Sloan is involved in the American Heart Association’s CycleNation Cleveland.
Sloan and Kyle Yoder were friends. Their daughter became friends in high school and soon the families formed a deep friendship.
“It took my involvement to a whole other level, made my involvement much deeper. The Key Bank Executive is heading up a team for CycleNation this year.
“I think unfortunately just about everybody has been impacted by stroke or heart attack in some way. Either directly, themselves, or a close family member or friend,” explained Sloan.
This year, CycleNation Cleveland is on the day Kyle Yoder would have turned 44 years old. For the first time, his wife will take part to raise money, and awareness, and to keep her husband’s legacy alive.
“I just wanted to do something to honor him, he wasn’t forgotten, his life made a difference,” said Jaci Yoder.
CycleNation Cleveland will take place at First Energy Stadium on October 27 stating at 5 p.m. More information can be found here.
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