17 years ago today, on December 7, 1995, Steven Cohen came home from work, changed his clothes, kissed his wife and daughters (ages 2 and 5) and walked out the door to play his weekly basketball game with friends. Neither Steve nor his wife Eva could know what would follow. During the basketball game this healthy-looking, 35-year-old man complained of not feeling well. He left the court, sat down and suffered a massive heart attack that took his life.
Driven to do something to honor Steve’s memory and save other families from suffering the tragic loss of a loved one to heart disease, Steve’s friends, family and community formed The Steven S. Cohen Heart Fund in 1996. In 2004, the name was changed to The Heart Foundation.
Since its creation, The Heart Foundation has raised millions of dollars to support our mission of educating the public about heart disease, promoting early detection, and funding the research being conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center under the direction of world-renowned cardiologist Dr. P.K. Shah. We continue in the quest to find more effective ways to prevent and treat heart disease, the #1 cause of death in the U.S. As we remember Steven Cohen today, an incredible husband, father, son, brother and friend, and reflect upon his legacy, we re-dedicate ourselves to this mission and to saving lives in Steve’s name.
