They Can Build Anything-Except Healthy Hearts
- Heidi Van Kirk
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, but for those working in the construction industry, the risk is especially heightened. Long hours, physically demanding labor, chronic stress, exposure to hazardous materials, and irregular access to healthcare all contribute to a dangerous mix. Among the various roles in this field, painters—often working in confined spaces with chemical fumes—face unique hazards that can strain the cardiovascular system over time. How ironic I now find it that my own career path led me to the home building industry, an industry of workers threatened by the leading cause of death.
You see, this isn’t just a statistic for me—it’s personal. My dad was a professional painter. He worked hard to perfect his craft and create beauty in the homes of others, often coming back to our own home-exhausted, paint still on his hands, and the smell of thinner lingering on his clothes. He took pride in his work, but like many in his field, he rarely slowed down enough to pay much attention to his own health.
Work ethic above all else is something to be proud of, but at what expense?
Years of physical labor took their toll, and he was eventually diagnosed with congestive heart failure. It wasn’t sudden, but it felt that way. One day he was climbing ladders and prepping walls; the next, he was in a hospital bed, weakened by a heart that had been overworked for too long. Because of research and advancements in heart healthcare, and surgeries that extended his life, we were able to spend another 15 years with him.
Sure, you might think 15 years is pretty good, but when you are talking about the life of your loved one, any shortage of time feels like highway robbery.
Most of these past 15 years with my dad have been spent focusing on protecting the precious time we had; not so much by way of quality time and memory building, but instead by way of caregiving, medications, nutrition discussions, doctor visits, and surgeries. I can’t help but think - if he had only known back then what we know now, we could have had much more quality in our time together.
I lost my dad this week.
After beating cancer 4 times, surviving aneurysms and chronic GI bleeds for more than 5 years, beating kidney failure and advanced diabetes for decades, my Dad’s cause of death was “acute onset/exacerbation of chronic congestive heart failure”. His death certificate does not read cancer, or any of the other scary diseases we worried about and managed every day. Instead, it cites the final attributed cause of death to be his heart failure – the one disease which we thought we had the most control of.
Caring for my dad over the years has opened my eyes to how vulnerable construction workers are to silent, long-term health issues. Heart disease doesn’t always come with a warning sign. For many like him, the warning is the collapse—and by then, it can be too late.
Losing my dad has left me with a mission to help others, before it’s too late. How divine is it that my career path led me to the most appropriate platform to deliver on this mission?
Heart disease is the #1 killer of construction workers in the U.S. This industry is made up of hard-working men and women who are often too busy building the world around them to stop and care for themselves. They ignore chest pain. They push through fatigue. They don’t talk about what’s really going on. They keep going...hard.
That must change.
We need to do more—more education on health risks, better access to preventative care, and a cultural shift in the trades where taking care of your body is seen as just as important as showing up for the job. Because behind every skilled hand and calloused palm is a human heart that deserves care too.
That’s why I support Hard Hats with Heart in Rock County, through the American Heart Association. It’s an initiative that raises awareness, promotes heart health, and helps make resources accessible to the very people who need them most, right here in our community-people like my dad.
We laid my dad to rest yesterday. I lost him, but I don’t want you to lose yours.
If you work in construction, talk to your crew. Get screened. Take the warning signs seriously. And if you’re someone looking to make a difference, please consider donating to Hard Hats with Heart-Rock County. Your support could help save lives in an industry of workers who build our communities, who often die too young, silent victims of something preventable.
Because hearts matter—even the toughest ones.
Join me, and others in our local industry, for a special event on June 10, 2025.
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