A surprise knock at the door was hurriedly opened as I prepared for my baby shower. It was Bonnie - my favorite mother-in-law!! Her radiant smile eased my tension and filled my heart with gratitude. She had just driven by herself for two days and was here to celebrate the birth of our first born, her third grandchild.

This one experience sums up a lifetime of "Bonnie's." She gave with her whole heart and she did it out of pure love and generosity.

While visiting her in October of 2006, she suddenly didn't feel well and had to sit down. She complained of another "episode" as she pressed against her chest. After rushing her to the ER we learned she had suffered a heart attack. Test results revealed that she would have to undergo quadruple bypass heart surgery. A heart attack was completely unexpected, but heart surgery seemed incomprehensible. This just couldn't be for a woman who worked hard and paid close attention to her diet. The surgery went well and, because she was only 56 and strong, the doctors assured us that she would recover without problem.

Within days of being home from the hospital, Bonnie was baking a cake for a friend - "Happy Birthday Sharon" it read in purple and green icing. But two days later, on October 30th, something went terribly wrong. My husband received a terrifying phone call saying that she had died. We don't know if she suffered another heart attack or experienced a blood clot. We still feel numb at times from the experience.

We miss her terribly. I sometimes expect to hear a surprise knock at the door and see her smiling face. She loved beautiful sunsets and they continue to remind us of her constant presence.

I wish that I would've known more about women and heart disease - known that signs in women are different than in men and that their symptoms also vary. I cannot change what happened, but I can make a difference now. I can communicate a message of encouragement and confidence and educate women on the risk factors and symptoms of heart disease.

BornFit believes strongly in educating women and providing resources to you about heart health. We encourage you to fight heart disease by exercising and if you don't exercise regularly - START!

Love your heart, keep moving and be the Fit Mom that you truly are!

Written by: Lisa Welch (co-founder of BornFit)