With the help from Norton Heart &Vascular Institute, Audwin Helton is educating others on the importance of cardiac health
Published: September 26, 2025
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
After surviving heart failure, a Louisville man is championing cardiovascular health and educating others about the importance of lifesaving care.
In May 2024, Audwin Helton was enjoying the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. But on his third day attending the professional golf tournament, he wasn’t quite himself.
“As I walked out of Valhalla, something just didn’t feel right,” Audwin said. “On the fourth day I was getting up, getting prepared to go back out and enjoy the experiences again, but something just didn’t feel right. When I was going up the stairs, I felt winded, and I just never felt winded before.”
Audwin had high blood pressure for decades, but he hadn’t visited a cardiologist. He didn’t realize how bad it had become.
Audwin was diagnosed with congestive heart failure after visiting a doctor. But three months and several medications later, he still didn’t feel right, and an echocardiogram showed his heart was not improving.
So Audwin sought another opinion at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. He visited Kelly C. McCants, M.D., a cardiologist and executive medical director of the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Advanced Heart Failure & Recovery Program. He received life-changing treatment.
“When I say Norton Healthcare saved my life, I’m not exaggerating,” Audwin said. “For him [Dr. McCants] to simply say, ‘I got you,’ means the world. I think he remembers those words when he said that, “We’re going to take care of you.’”
According to Dr. McCants, community awareness for heart disease is crucial, as it’s the leading cause of death in the United States.
“Knowing your numbers are important, making sure that you keep your blood pressure less than 120 over 80,” Dr. McCants said. “If you’re prescribed medicines, it’s important for you to take them.”
Audwin and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity hosted a heart-healthy breakfast to share the importance of knowing their numbers, heart health and seeing a cardiologist.
“With health care, particularly, in the Black community, there are a lot of things that we can prevent, like high blood pressure, by managing your diet, managing your weight, lowering your salt intake,” Dr. McCants said.
While some people have some hesitancy about visiting a doctor, a preventive exam can go a long way toward healthier living.
“You can either take care of things on the front end, or you take care of things on the back end,” Dr. McCants said. “If you don’t, you end up seeing somebody like me or another specialist in cardiovascular medicine, but that’s after the fact. After the damage is already done to the heart, the damage is done to the kidneys. We can prevent a lot of that.”
A healthier lifestyle sometimes can start with some open conversations.
“Don’t be afraid to talk about your health with people who you care about, your family, your community, your fraternity brothers,” Dr. McCants said. “That’s important, because you have to be advocates for yourself, but you can inspire other people.”
The fraternity also donated $5,000 to the Norton Healthcare Foundation to support patient education. Funds were raised through the Jim Green Golf Classic hosted by the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Theta Omega Chapter.
A lesson learned by Audwin became a lesson shared with others.
“Let me be a living proof that going to the doctor is that important,” Audwin said.
Norton Healthcare has created a two-minute quiz that can reveals how healthy your heart is and whether you’re potentially at risk for heart disease: Take the quiz.
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute is a leading provider of comprehensive cardiology care in Kentucky, Louisville and southern Indiana, and our specialists see more than 137,000 patients a year.
To make an appointment at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, you can schedule online or call (502) 446-6484 (NHVI).
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