Carla Raines
A New Sunrise is Why
When I first met Carla Raines two years ago, I was struck by her charismatic personality and enthusiasm for life. Her smile is contagious and her energy is unstoppable. Little did I know the mental, physical and emotional challenges that have woven through her life. It was her personal path of recovery from a life threatening illness that led Carla to her passion—fostering awareness and coordinating events to raise money for the American Heart Association (AHA) to provide education and research. As Development Director for the Southern Coast of the AHA, one of her roles is to produce two major events during the year, the annual Southern Coast Heart Ball each February and the Palmetto Heart Walk every April. In 2016 more than $22 million was allocated for research in South Carolina and Georgia.
As a teenager, Carla suffered from infrequent migraine headaches. As the years progressed, they became more regular and intense, despite normal medical intervention. She was referred to a neurologist in 2004 for a comprehensive workup. An MRI revealed an aneurysm in the middle of her cerebral artery. After consultations with several neurosurgeons, Carla reluctantly chose to undergo endovascular coiling to repair the defect.