Rock from the Heart

Rock from the Heart is focused on developing education programs focused on the diagnosis, treatment and management of aortic disease and advocating for early detection, meaningful support, and timely access to appropriate treatment for all people affected. The organization works in collaboration with other non profits focused on aortic disease, and we believe working together makes us all stronger.
Goals:
• Communicating new information on aortic disease to the public
• Raising awareness of the symptoms and severity of aortic disease within at-risk and under-served populations so that it is no longer THE silent killer
• Reducing the toll of aortic disease by addressing barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and follow up care.
• Providing a voice for aortic disease patients to improve access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment, improving quality of life and overall outcomes

Rock from the Heart hosts an annual two-day event designed to connect patients, caregivers, survivors, medical professionals, researchers, and others affected by aortic disease.
Rock from the Heart events will be covered by the media and will include promotional appearances in newspapers, online, radio and television.

Rock from the Heart has developed a unique model - using music events to reach out the the community with the message to Listen to Your Heart.
Rock from the Heart started in 2019, hosting the first aortic health symposium and benefit concert. The 2nd event in 2020 was also a success. The team has demonstrated success in organization events that are affordable while also generating income to support the aortic disease education and awareness programs.
RFTH has an engaged base of volunteers who continue to reach out with the message through local efforts and social media. Collaborations with several organizations- Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day, Heart Valve Voice, Mended Hearts, The Marfan Foundation, Aortic Hope, and Think Aorta have allowed us to expand our reach.
RFTH has a grant writer on staff who has demonstrated success in securing funding for the education initiatives and annual symposium.

Rock from the Heart continues to amplify our message. Rock from the Heart 2019 and 2020 events were held in Minneapolis, MN with attendees flying in from across the US. In 2021, the organization shifted to a virtual symposium due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aortic health symposium reached a broader audience in this virtual format, bringing in attendees from across the US and across the globe.
The patient education symposium was recorded and video available to view on YouTube and the RFTH website, which allows us to continually reach those who are looking for information on aortic disease.
In 2022, Rock from the Heart is adding a second market, partnering with Essentia Health Heart and Vascular Center.
Session and event feedback is collected at each event, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with most speakers asking to be part of future events and sharing information about RFTH's unique and effective program to amplify the aortic health message.
Sample feedback: " Thank you so much for all you did to make this symposium happen. The information presented was so helpful and I'm really looking forward to going back over the material, listening and learning as I listen. I have a new diagnosis of aortic aneurysm and aortic bicuspid murmur. While they are both in the early stages, I've been told that surgery will be necessary in the future so I'm learning to live with this waiting stage. The symposium gave me perspective and hope."