Heart & Stroke and Manulife want the public to say ‘I love you mom’ this Mother’s Day, while raising funds for women’s heart disease and stroke research. The campaign encourages people to go to http://heartandstroke.ca/mothersday to make a donation and send a personalized e-card in honour of their mom.  All donations will generously be matched by Manulife, up to $250,000.

“This Mother’s Day, we’re giving people in Canada a way to honour moms and show that they love them and care about their health by contributing to a campaign to fund life-saving women’s research,” said Geoff Craig, Chief Marketing and Development Officer, Heart & Stroke.

“Heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of premature death for women in Canada, yet two-thirds of clinical research is focused on men.  Heart & Stroke has committed to doubling the dollars we invest in researching women because most of what we know about how to diagnose and treat heart disease and stroke has been learned from research on men, but one size doesn’t fit all,” he added.

The campaign is anchored with a heartfelt video where children and adults at various stages of life wish their moms a happy Mother’s Day with a twist to drive awareness of women’s heart health. The e-cards are available on the Heart & Stroke website and can be sent to moms, indicating a donation has been made in their name. Printed versions of the cards will also be available at pop-up shops at Simcoe Place in Toronto (200 Front St West) and Waterfront Station in Vancouver (601 West Cordova St), on May 9 and 10, from 8 am to 6 pm.

“Manulife is proud to become a Founding Partner of Heart & Stroke’s Women’s Initiative. It’s important to raise awareness and increase the dialogue on the topic of heart health amongst Canadian women,” says Stacey Grant-Thompson, Chief Marketing Officer, Manulife Canada. “One of our main goals is to equip women with vital information they need to live longer, healthier lives. We’re excited about the innovative campaign we’ve developed to support that goal.”

Every 17 minutes, a woman in Canada dies from heart disease or stroke. Women are six times more likely to die from heart disease and stroke than from breast cancer, but many women don’t even know it, presuming other diseases to be more deadly. Heart & Stroke has committed to closing the research gap by ensuring equitable representation of women in all the research it funds, and by building a national network of scientists to advance expertise in women’s heart and brain health.

Heart & Stroke is proud to partner with Manulife. We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of our Women’s Initiative Founding Partners, including Manulife. Together, we’re committed to saving women’s lives by advancing women’s heart and brain health in Canada.