Age is not just a number—it’s a significant risk factor for blood clots, a risk that escalates exponentially with each passing year.
In a recent interview with AARP, National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) Volunteer President Leslie Lake shared her powerful story of survival after a sudden blood clot in her lungs (pulmonary embolism)—a story that highlights the urgent need for awareness, early detection, and advocacy.
“I was coming back from the dry cleaner near my apartment, coming up a little incline that I’d walked thousands of times before,” Leslie recalled. “All of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe. It literally felt as if someone had put their hands around my neck and squeezed all of the oxygen out of my body. I thought I was having a heart attack.”
Leslie’s terrifying journey to diagnosis took hours, and even after she was discharged, she was left without any resources or clear direction on how to move forward. This information gap led her to the NBCA.
“I was given a second chance, and so I want to make sure that I can pay that forward,” she said. “I feel privileged to be in a situation now where I’m sitting here today in the hope that I’ll reach somebody and save their life.”
We are deeply grateful to AARP—a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older—for amplifying this critical conversation. Every story shared has the power to save lives.
Watch the full video interview from AARP here.
Find out if you could be at risk of a life-threatening blood clot here.
