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Author became a heart disease advocate to prevent this from happening to others

MONTREAL, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Shortly after arriving in Ottawa with her two young children, following her husband's appointment as Cameroon's High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Canada, Mercy Azoh-Mbi complained of fatigue, fever, a headache and blurred vision and was rushed to the hospital.

Due to an emergency room misdiagnosis, she was sent home, only to be admitted two days later with endocarditis, a virulent infection of the heart valves. After several weeks in a coma, Azoh-Mbi underwent four heart surgeries as well as the amputation of her two arms and two legs, the only options left to save her life. Her ordeal was covered in the media in March 2011, when she filed a lawsuit against the hospital for medical malpractice.

"Miracle of Mercy," by Mercy Azoh-Mbi with Paul T. Ayah, is a memoir of her journey as she copes with the aftermath of her amputations, highlighting her intensive physical and psychological therapy and the fitting of two prosthetic heart valves, two prosthetic arms and two prosthetic legs.

Following bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts, and guided by her faith, fortitude and the support of her family and community, the Mercy Azoh-Mbi Heart Foundation was created, and Azoh-Mbi transformed into an advocate, dedicated to preventing heart disease.

"Despite my ordeal, I harbor no bitterness and resentment," said Azoh-Mbi. "I choose to embrace life, love, compassion, and forgiveness."

The vision of the Mercy Azoh-Mbi Heart Foundation is to "contribute in the global effort to promote healthy hearts and reduce the high rate of mortality from cardiovascular diseases." They conduct
outreach activities to educate the public about heart disease, prevention and treatment, with an emphasis on women and the underprivileged; promote community-based support centers for heart health to foster awareness and action in preventing heart disease; support medical students and researchers in developing countries to foster research in cardiac care; strengthen the capacity of medical institutions and practitioners to prevent, diagnose and cure heart conditions; and establish and coordinate a network of cardiologists and cardiac institutes across the world that are willing to sponsor or provide free heart-related health services to underprivileged populations.

"Miracle of Mercy: A True Story of Courage in the Face of Adversity"
By Mercy Azoh-Mbi with Paul T. Ayah
ISBN: 9781664280373 (softcover); 9781664280380 (hardcover); 9781664280397 (electronic)
Available at , and

About the author
Mercy Azoh-Mbi was born in Cameroon where she earned a master's degree in geology before moving with her family to Ottawa. She was getting ready to pursue an MBA when disaster struck. After recovering from a health crisis, she and her husband, Solomon, founded the , a Canadian charity devoted to preventing heart disease and impacting the lives of thousands of individuals in need of cardiovascular care. She passed away in July 2023. To learn more, please visit .

Paul T. Ayah is a Montreal-based professional translator. He was editor-in-chief of 50 Years of Impact: A Biographical Dictionary of some Canadians of Cameroonian Origin (2012) and ghost-wrote the book Good Governance and Responsibility (2014). He's currently editing the book The Power of Giving, which is due out later this year.

Media Contact

Ziggy Goldfarb, WestBow Press, 4803067065, [email protected]

SOURCE WestBow Press