Being a healthy living advocate wasn’t always the plan for Prince George’s County resident and You’re the Cure advocate Dionne Bush. But when she was in her mid-20’s and feeling the stress of being a single mother, she decided she needed to change her lifestyle choices. She became involved in personal training, group exercise classes, and started to eat healthier. Now 50-years-young, Dionne is a health, safety, and wellness educator who is committed to teaching others about corrective exercises, healthy eating choices, and how to recognize the signs of heart attack, stroke, and anaphylactic shock. She has also raised her now 23-year-old son to advocate healthy living.
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“I look at myself today and I’m a better human being since I made those changes and I know people will feel healthier if they knew they are able to make healthier food and living choices,” Dionne said. “That’s what got me into volunteering with the American Heart Association and advocating healthy living choices and vending.”
Dionne has been a resident of Prince George’s County for almost 20 years and is passionate about advocating for healthy lifestyles. Advocating for healthy vending is a way for Dionne to give back and help her fellow Prince George’s residents live longer, healthier lives.
“What I would like to see change in Prince George’s County is that we will become a healthier county than the one that we currently are,” Dionne said.
Dionne supports legislation the Prince George’s County Council is considering that would create a healthy vending policy. Always carrying American Heart Association materials wherever she goes, Dionne champions all efforts that are aimed to improve heart health.
“What I hope to see in Prince George’s county is everybody coming in accord to think about the health of this county and see that it’s more important than anything else,” Dionne said.
Dionne’s support for heart healthy policies in Prince George’s is personal. “I ask people to think about themselves and others and family members. If they ever had a family member or someone dear to them who is or has been going through health issues because they were eating unhealthy, look at that and take that into consideration.”
Live in Prince George’s County, Maryland? Support healthy vending here!
<Special thanks to AHA intern Melissa Rohman for help developing this Advocate Story>