Michelle Bergh

Mac Greeman was a healthy, vibrant 14-year-old boy who was listed with one of the same modeling/talent agencies as I am.  On Thanksgiving Day in 2013, he returned from his morning run and went to take a shower.  He never came out of the shower, and when his mother went to check on him, she found him unresponsive on the shower floor.

Despite his mother's attemps at CPR and the fact that the EMT'S quickly brought him to the hospital, they were unable to save Mac's life.  He had passed away from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Each year since then, the agency, Privileged Models/Oryon Media Artists, which is the agency that partnered with me on most of my songs, hosts fundraisers to raise money for the Mac Greeman Foundation that his mother set up in his honor.

What I've learned from them is that an estimated 14,000 school-aged children will die of Sudden Cardiac Arrest each year.   

The Mac Greeman Foundation is increasing awareness of this issue and is attempting to raise funds to make AED's (automatic external defibrillators) available at schools, youth events and communities.  

I'm especially interested in this cause because a childhood playmate of mine passed away at age 16 from an undiagnosed cardiac issue, and my young nephew developed a cardiac issue that caused him to undergo open heart surgery at just 6 years old.   

Further, in the late fall of 2017, I personally developed a very irregular and often extremely fast pulse rate that could go from 52 to 145 almost instantly despite no change in activity.  It caused me shortness of breath, lightheaded-ness and the inability to keep food down, as well as other issues.  My clothes hung on me from the weight loss.  I had three trips to the emergency room and needed an IV because of all of the vomiting.  You can imagine the concern it caused, and I completely stopped working out because it seemed too risky. 

After spending six days of thorough testing with the cardiologists at the Mayo Clinic in January 2018, I was very relieved that my doctor not only reached a definite diagnosis, but in my case, a diagnosis that's NOT life-threatening, and that my heart was actually very strong.  I was encouraged to work out daily,  add more cardio, increase my water intake (I already drank more than the recommended amounts), eat several small meals each day instead of three large meals and to actually ADD a LOT more salt to my diet!   

After having personally gone through all of that, the Mac Greeman Foundation is a cause for which I'm especially fond.  I personally know Mac's mother from a modeling shoot in LA that I was on with that agency.  Meeting her gave me an even deeper connection to this cause. 

I am beyond blessed that in my case, I had a very treatable condition that I could easily manage with lifestyle changes.  I don't take for granted how fortunate I am, and I'm fully aware that many people are not so lucky.

I was very happy to have been invited to perform at the agency's Holiday Toy Drive/Fund Raiser to benefit this foundation, and I was also very happy to help raise money and donate toys.

If you'd like more information or would like to get involved, here's their link:

https://www.macgreeman.org/