Newspaper Spotlights Courage and Volunteer Spirit of Melissa Reinke '02

September 25, 2003

September 25, 2003, Greencastle, Ind. - "With a wedding to plan in a year, a great job and a wonderful family, Melissa Reinke has a lot going for her," writes Josh Duke of the Indianapolis Star in an article on Reinke, a 2002 graduate of DePauw University. The story continues, "the 23-year-old Noblesville resident could have lost it all -- in a heartbeat.In 1995, when she was a Noblesville High School freshman, doctors diagnosed Reinke with a condition known as cardiomyopathy, which causes gradual deterioration of the heart muscle. Her doctors' initial prognosis: Without a transplant, Reinke would die." (photo is from 2001 Mirage)

Instead, a defibrillator was implanted and, with medication Melissa Reinke is active, healthy and an example to others. "Her fight for life impressed the American Heart Association so much that it named a local award in her honor about five years ago," the Star notes. Last Friday, Reinke presented the Melissa Reinke Youth Achievement Award to a local fifth grader who with the help of his family, raised $3,300 in a charity event for the Heart Association. "The award is given to a young person who has made a significant contribution to the Heart Association through personal involvement. It isn't given every year -- just when a student shows exemplary effort."

The article continues, "Reinke's fiancé, Dave Simon, whom she met at DePauw University, said he has learned from her example: Take nothing for granted, and live every moment to the fullest. 'When she first told me about what she had been through, it really wasn't a big deal, to tell you the truth,' he said. 'It was kind of strange to hear it, because she can do everything I can.'"

Reinke volunteers for the Heart Association and has personally raised about $15,000 for the organization. She tells the newspaper, "I've spoken to as many as 5,000 people at one time. I love it. It's easy because it is my story, and it puts a face on this disease." Duke writes, "She has impressed her fiancé, who says it's unusual for a young person to be so involved in a worthy cause. 'It's great that she has this opportunity from something so negative,' Simon said during last week's award presentation. 'I know what my friends do on a Friday night -- and it is not this.'"

You can access the complete story, which includes a color photo of Melissa Reinke presenting the award, by clicking here.

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