Two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip’s hardest hit in life came when his sister called to tell him their mother, Margaret Waltrip, had suffered a major stoke due to arterial fibrillation (AFib.)
The stroke left Margaret partially paralyzed. Her mobility continued to deteriorate until she was confined to a wheelchair. She now requires 24-hour care, which is provided through a well-choreographed dance by a combination of hired caregivers and Michael’s sister Connie Waltrip Brinkley, who lives next door.
Michael will pilot the No. 66 MyAFibStory.com Toyota in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. His goal is more than just on-track success. Waltrip wants to bring awareness to AFib, the risks and the treatment options.
Waltrip helped kick off AFib awareness month in September through the news media and by encouraging fans to visit MyAFibStory.com to upload photos of themselves supporting AFib awareness. Many of those fan photos appear on the No. 66 this weekend.
WALTRIP: “My mom unfortunately suffered a stroke 25 years ago due to AFib (Atrial fibrillation). Michael Waltrip Racing and I have partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals to raise awareness of AFib — 2.7 million people live with AFib. Mom was one of those that had a stroke as a result of her AFib. So, life for mom today is very challenging. She’s stuck in a wheelchair and isn’t able to get up and enjoy the things in life that she would like to. I went to my mom and said, ‘They’re going to make a video about you, Mom.’ At first, as any 87-year-old probably would be, it didn’t seem like the best idea to her. But, the more we talked about it, she said, ‘Son, if I could help one person not be in a wheelchair because of my story, then it’s worth doing.’”
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