By Alyssa Paige,
American Heart Association (Mid-South)
Photo courtesy of American Heart Association
Lori Sepich
is someone people notice. She shows up, brings people together and leads with heart in every part of her life. What many people do not see is how hard she once worked to avoid talking about her own.
Each February, American Heart Month invites communities to pause, pay attention and take action when it comes to heart health. In Memphis, that call is often answered by powerful local voices. This year, one of those voices is being heard far beyond the Mid-South. Lori Sepich, known to many for her passion and advocacy, has been selected as one of only twelve women nationwide for the American Heart Association’s 2026 Go Red for Women Class of Survivors, making her the first woman from our region to receive this honor.
Lori’s story, however, did not begin with storytelling or awards. It began quietly. At just 17, she was diagnosed with extreme hypertension. Young and determined not to let it slow her down, she ignored medications and brushed off warning signs. Life moved fast. Responsibilities piled up. Her health slowly slipped to the back burner.
That all came to a head on Easter Sunday in 2005. Lori woke up with chest pain, nausea and sweating. She told herself it could wait. Family was coming over. There were plans to keep. Fear and denial worked together, convincing her to push through the day. The next morning, she drove herself to the emergency room, smoking a cigarette on the way. When doctors asked if she smoked, she replied, “I quit.” When asked when, she added, “About five minutes ago.”
At 43 years old, Lori had suffered a heart attack. Doctors placed six stents in her heart. While her body began to heal, the emotional weight settled in even heavier. Depression followed, along with the realization that heart disease was no longer something she could ignore.
More than a decade later, in 2018, Lori faced another terrifying moment. Just six weeks into a new job, she began experiencing familiar symptoms. Fear of missing work and appearing vulnerable delayed her care. When she finally sought help, doctors discovered a 100 percent blockage in her widowmaker artery. It was a wake-up call that forced her to confront how much of herself she had been sacrificing simply to keep going.
That same job, however, would become an unexpected turning point. Each year, her employer attended the Go Red for Women Luncheon and encouraged staff to join. Lori did not want to go. She did not want to talk about her heart. She did not want to admit how deeply her experiences had shaped her. So, she showed up, reluctantly wearing teal in a sea of red.
Then she heard a woman share a story that sounded exactly like her own.
In that moment, something shifted. For the first time, Lori felt seen. The walls she had built to protect herself began to crack. She realized her story did not have to stay hidden. It could matter. It could help someone else feel less alone.
She came back the next year. And the year after that. Since that first reluctant visit, Lori has attended the Go Red for Women Luncheon every year, each time more open and more willing to share her story. What began as quiet attendance turned into purpose.
She started speaking up, first in small conversations and then in larger rooms. In telling the truth about her heart, Lori discovered how many others were carrying the same fears in silence.
Since then, Lori has become a trusted voice in the Memphis heart health community. She participated in the American Heart Association’s Woman of Impact campaign in 2023 and was later recognized as Volunteer of the Year at the Go Red for Women Luncheon. Today, she works closely with underserved communities, hosts quarterly support groups at her local hospital and leads Your Heart Rocks, a project that spreads encouragement through hand-painted heart-shaped rocks shared throughout Memphis.
Lori Sepich is not just a survivor. She is proof that honesty saves lives, that community heals and that leading with heart can change far more than your own story.