Guard Your Heart: Tasha’s Health Scare Turned Wake-Up Call for 2025
A deaconess’ collapse at choir rehearsal reveals heart disease’s toll on Black women. With prayer and 2025’s new tools, Tasha fought back—here’s how you can too.
Credit: EEW Magazine
Tasha Jenkins had always been a pillar—42 years old, a deaconess at her Charlotte church, armed with a master’s in education from Howard University, and the kind of woman who’d pray over you before you even asked.
One night at choir rehearsal, when she felt the weight in her chest and a breath that wouldn’t come, she brushed it off as exhaustion from grading papers, mentoring teens, and running on empty. Then she collapsed.
“I’d been telling God every morning, ‘Use me, Lord,’” Tasha shared in an EEW Magazine Online interview, her voice still thick with awe. “But when the doctor said heart disease—and I needed a stent—I realized He’d been whispering back, ‘I need you to take care of yourself so I can use you.’”
Her story echoes a sobering truth: heart disease claims nearly 50,000 Black women each year, making it the leading cause of death in our community, according to the American Heart Association. With over 54% of us facing hypertension, per the CDC, Tasha’s wake-up call is yours too—a chance to blend prayer with purpose in 2025.
Why the Risk Runs Deep
Tasha’s diagnosis wasn’t random. A 2023 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found Black women have a 60% higher risk of high blood pressure than white women, a mix of genetics and the daily grind—careers pulling in $50K or more, raising families, and lifting up churches. The AHA flags another hurdle: sodium-heavy diets thrive where fresh produce is scarce, a reality in too many of our neighborhoods.
Symptoms can be sneaky too—fatigue, jaw pain, or shortness of breath often mask the danger, unlike the chest-clutching signals men might get. Tasha’s near-miss drives it home: knowing your body can mean the difference between a testimony and a tragedy.
Tools for a New Year
In 2025, God’s timing feels spot-on with fresh ways to fight back. Wearable tech—like blood pressure monitors now dipping below $50 at Walmart—syncs to your phone, offering a window into your heart’s rhythm while you’re juggling Zoom calls and Bible study. The AHA’s 2024 guidelines urge screenings by age 35 if heart trouble runs in your lineage—a common thread for us.
Churches are answering the call too, with Black Health Matters spotlighting “Heart Sundays” across cities like Atlanta and Chicago, where sisters lead free BP checks and nutrition workshops after worship. It’s not charity—it’s empowerment for a community that values wisdom.
Prayer Meets Practicality
You’ve got prayer in your bones—1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing,” is your heartbeat. Tasha felt it too: “When I couldn’t breathe, I just kept saying, ‘Lord, hold me.’” A 2021 Journal of Religion and Health study backs her up—prayer lowers stress hormones, a silent saboteur of heart health. But 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 also calls your body a temple, a charge to act. '
You’ve got prayer in your bones—1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing,” is your heartbeat. Tasha felt it too: “When I couldn’t breathe, I just kept saying, ‘Lord, hold me.’”
A 2021 Journal of Religion and Health study backs her up—prayer lowers stress hormones, a silent saboteur of heart health. But 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 calls your body a temple, a charge to act.
Arias, a Los Angeles-based Certified Personal Trainer and celebrity health coach featured in EEW Magazine Online’s past spotlight, puts it plainly: “Get moving in any way you can but do it every day. There are 24 hours in a day—dedicate just one of them to becoming the stronger and better version of yourself by staying active.” Walking ministries fit the bill—30 minutes, three times a week meets AHA goals while connecting you with sisters in faith, an activity Tasha’s now engaged in post-recovery.
On the food front, Arias adds her take: “Mindful snacking—like popcorn, almonds, or protein-based bites—keeps it delicious and wholesome.”
Then, annual checkups seal the deal—Medicare covers them free for many over 45, and CVS MinuteClinic takes most insurance.
Your Temple, Your Testimony
Tasha’s back in the choir, stent in place, her faith stronger than ever. “Prayer carried me, but I had to do my part,” she says, her eyes shining.
Maybe a tracker’s your thing—Nielsen shows Black households boosted them 20% last year. Or try a home workout program, lighten up Sunday dinner.
Heart disease doesn’t respect your grind or your praise, but 2025’s handing you an opportunity to fight for your health more intensely. Tasha turned her scare into strength—how will you guard your heart this year?
