Beyond the Blockage Community Campaign
January 30, 2025 2025-11-17 1:35Beyond the Blockage Community Campaign
by: Vasumathi Rajaji
Our students at Innovation Academy have been working on a community awareness campaign for atherosclerosis.These students, Vaishnavi Reddy, Ashitha Puvvada, Vasumathi Rajaji, and Jenbao Perng, are members of IA’s HOSA chapter. Their goal is to better inform people of all ages of the importance of early prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular disease, to alleviate future suffering through their campaign known as Beyond the Blockage. Beyond the Blockage’s aim is to educate the public on the dangers of atherosclerosis and ensure that people can apply this knowledge into their own lives.
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which plaque made up of lipids and cholesterol accumulates in the arteries of the bodies impeding blood flow. It is one of the most prevalent conditions and is present in over half of those aged 45 to 84. Furthermore, atherosclerosis serves as the root of some of the leading causes of death including heart attacks and stroke as plaque forms blockages near the heart and brain preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching crucial organs. However, atherosclerosis can affect any artery,and symptoms can often manifest in later severe stages of illness. This emphasizes
The Beyond the Blockage team has worked on a multitude of projects throughout the year which have fostered interest in atherosclerosis locally. These projects include a flex friday session in which students gave a presentation educating members about atherosclerosis, an interview with a cardiologist, Dr. Reddy, an escape room activity, and a Blooket. This session allowed students to understand the real world implications of atherosclerosis with industry professionals and allowed them to actively utilize their knowledge with a set of minigames in which they role-played as a doctor treating a patient to escape the room. Additionally, Beyond the Blockage hosts a podcast in which they cover different aspects of atherosclerosis and heart health through their informative episodes and interviews with healthcare professionals. Moreover, they have an Instagram page which posts tips and information on their instagram page which hosts weekly challenges allowing people to take charge of their own health and prevent atherosclerosis. They also post about other events they do as a part of their campaign. Please go and support our students and follow them @beyondtheblockage on Instagram, @BeyondtheBlock4 on X, and listen to their podcast on Spotify, YouTube, iHeart Radio, and Amazon Music!
