“I couldn’t have predicted that one day, I would be making art, creating retreats, designing an interesting life, and traveling all over the world,” muses Volume 1 Member and local-favorite artist Jan McCarthy. “I also couldn’t have predicted a broken heart – and I don’t mean from love.”

The two are inherently related, as it wasn’t until after discovering a life threatening heart condition at forty four that things changed. Ahead of American Heart Month (it’s February for those who aren’t keeping up), we chatted with Jan about her journey with heart health – and how that journey has changed more than her heart.  

TSG Newport Beach: Jan, thank you for sitting down to talk with us about such an important and, to you, deeply personal topic. Can you walk us through your journey with heart health? 
Jan McCarthy: Twenty-six years ago, I was 44 years old with two daughters in middle school. I was an active hiker, ate reasonably well, and was on my way to getting my black belt in tae kwon do. I was also on the last leg of menopause. Over a few weeks I noticed a slight pressure on my chest when I was exerting myself. I ignored it. Finally, I was carrying a small bag of potting soil across the yard and felt the pressure intensify. It was so severe I had to sit down. Convinced it was walking pneumonia, I figured I’d go to the doctor to get an x-ray and a prescription or two. 
My doctors started asking a litany of questions and running even more tests. It seemed ridiculous. And when they ordered an angiography (a test used to investigate or examine blood vessels for potential heart conditions), I was convinced they were wasting the time of a busy mom. I didn’t have a family history of heart disease, so it wasn’t on my radar. The test revealed a 95% closed artery in the worst of places: the left anterior descending artery. Had I waited even a few days, I would’ve been dead. 
Doctors performed an angioplasty, a procedure that involves widening narrowed arteries to treat the condition, and placed a stent to keep the artery open. Later that year, I had another stent placed. Shortly after, I finished the year with what doctors described as a “roto rooter.” Since then, I’ve had another stent place and lived my best life. 

TSG Newport Beach: In the aftermath of your heart health scare, you embraced a career as an artist. Can you speak to the perspective shift that, in turn, shifted your life’s trajectory? 
Jan McCarthy: I try to live life to its fullest. It sounds trite, but it’s true: tomorrow isn’t promised. I don’t hold back on going after my dreams and having fun. My thinking and approach has shifted to: “do it now.” 

TSG Newport Beach: What has shifted from a health perspective? I think when people hear about heart disease, they think preventing or responding to it looks like restrictive diets.
Jan McCarthy: To me, taking care of myself doesn’t mean I have to give up everything I enjoy. It means I stay aware and proactive. I’ll have my glass of wine or fries, but I’ll also get my cholesterol checked regularly and listen to my body. 

TSG Newport Beach: Anyone who knows you knows that advocacy and education have become a part of your story. Can you speak to this? 
Jan McCarthy: Emily Dickinson once said, ‘if I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.’ She might have been referring to affairs of the heart, but her words also capture my feelings about heart disease. If I can encourage even one woman to pay closer attention to their heart health and be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of coronary heart problems, then I’ve lived a good life. 

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Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America. In light of this – and her personal experience with heart disease – Jan McCarthy dedicates a collection of works, “ART 4 THE HE(ART),” to raising awareness of heart disease during American Heart Month. Each piece incorporates a heart, often hidden, like the symptoms of heart disease that can be difficult to discern. Jan then donates a portion of the collection’s sales to an organization that raises awareness about heart disease. 

Keep an eye out for the upcoming release of Jan’s 2024 “ART 4 THE HE(ART)” Collection. Make sure to follow along with Jan on Instagram to be the first in the know.