Pam MacCormack was used to being the only woman in a male-dominated field.
Every day, she wore her unisex Canada Border Services uniform and went to work. She had many assignments, but perhaps the most memorable was her time at the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, one of the busiest and most dangerous international crossings between Canada and the United States.
Daily, she would help stop illegal and unsafe shipments from entering the country. It was a very stressful job, and Pam’s ideal way of coping was to comfort herself with food.
Over time, Pam’s health deteriorated. Her lifestyle, the demands of her job, a growing sense of isolation, and the grief related to losing her mother on the same day as 9/11 impacted her deeply. She experienced a wake-up call when she weighed herself, as the scale tipped to more than 350 pounds.
Pam had reached her limit. She asked for help and sought medical advice and coaching to better manage her weight and stress levels. At the age of 61, nearing retirement, as part of her overall commitment to a healthier life, she learned how to run.
Not only did she become a runner, but she built up her stamina to run marathons. In the process, she lost 150+ pounds. Pam became an in-demand motivational speaker and even appeared on the covers of many newspapers and magazines.
In the winter of 2019, as she was dog-walking, Pam slipped and fell, injuring her hip. When she finally visited her doctor, they would discover two startling facts: first, that her hip joint was gone and her bone was pushing into her pelvis, and second, that her heart was in trouble. She was at extreme risk of heart failure.
Pam would now need to navigate a series of intense health challenges life was about to throw her way.
First, her hip was rebuilt, and soon after, she would need her second hip replaced. She was referred to multiple specialists within the Ottawa Heart Institute. Pam shares that she “was over the moon” when she became a patient of the Heart Function Clinic and Dr. Lisa Marie Mielniczuk. She felt like she finally had answers and was receiving the help she needed to handle her heart condition. She also learned more about the latest sustainable ways to manage her weight.
Eventually, her family history of heart disease caught up with her. Pam’s father had also been a patient at the Institute. In fact, he had been cared for by co-founders Dr. Donald Beanlands and Dr. Wilbert Keon. Dr. Keon had performed his successful quadruple bypass three decades prior.
Now it was Pam’s turn to have surgery regardless of a left branch bundle block in her heart that increased her risk. The stent surgery was a success, but she still lives today with Atrial fibrillation (AFib), which causes bouts of irregular and often very rapid heart rhythms.
Since 2020, Pam has never missed a year of JUMP IN™. The online community was a breath of fresh air for Pam; it was supportive and kind as she worked to improve her health through daily physical activity, like walking with the assistance of a walker.
Through the JUMP IN™ challenge, she became a positive and enthusiastic champion for women’s heart health. She no longer felt like she was alone. Instead, she was a part of a larger community of women dedicated to each other and their heart health.
No matter the obstacle Pam encounters, she goes out for her walk every day and is committed to doing her very best. With the support of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the JUMP IN™ community, she lives life each day with her characteristic cheerfulness.
We are honoured to name Pam as one of our official 2024 JUMP IN™ For Women’s Heart Health ambassadors. She exemplifies the best qualities of our participants, from coast to coast to coast, who show up for each other and their own healthier hearts day in and day out.
