Leading with Heart: DeSales Student Partakes in Documentary Project
When Gianna Duddy ’23 entered Trexler Library to be interviewed for a documentary produced by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, she expected to be overwhelmed by glaring lights and tons of people.
Her nerves quickly dissipated when only the director greeted her, a fellow person living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who has shared a similar journey with the disease.
“During the interview, we talked about my diagnosis, my family history of HCM, how HCM has impacted my life, and my thoughts on genetic testing and regular cardiac checkups,” says Duddy, a forensic psychology major. “It felt like a casual conversation instead of a serious interview.”
Commonly referred to as sudden athlete death syndrome, HCM is a disease that causes the heart muscle to thicken, impairing its ability to pump blood. The condition often goes undiagnosed, which means that most people don’t realize they have it until tragedy strikes.
Duddy’s family has a long history of HCM. Her uncle died from the disease when he was just 13 years old, and her father knew he had a 50/50 chance of passing on the gene to her before her birth. When Duddy was officially diagnosed with HCM at the age of eight, her life changed forever.
“All of a sudden, I wasn't allowed to run at recess or in gym class in hopes of avoiding the same fate as my late uncle, something I wasn't made aware of until much later.”
Although doctors closely monitor Duddy’s physical activity and she attends yearly check-ups, she says that her day-to-day life is minimally impacted by the disease. Mainly, she must be more careful than her peers and make occasional tough sacrifices, like quitting athletics after three years on the DeSales field hockey team after contracting COVID-19.
Duddy agreed to participate in the documentary project because she wants to raise awareness of what is the most common inheritable heart disease.
“I wish there was just more overall knowledge about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,” she says. “The goal of this documentary is to highlight the importance of getting regular cardiac checkups but also to find a cure.”
She also urges those who are aware of the condition to be more concerned and empathetic.
“HCM is something that should be taken seriously no matter the stage someone is in. I know I have dealt with people who refuse to acknowledge my diagnosis and all that comes with it because it is not in the worst stage.”
Duddy hopes to continue advocating for HCM however possible and credits her Salesian education as inspiration.
“One of the focuses of Salesian philosophy is thinking about others, not just yourself… I easily could've said no [to participating in the documentary] because I ‘don't have it bad enough’ to help anyone else. But I realized that if I can help others that might not be able to speak up, then that's what I should do.”
