HEAL Alabama
Today, HEAL Alabama is serving 88 schools including almost 15,000 children. Photo courtesy of Christy Swaid.
Christy Carlson had carved out an enviable life for herself in Los Angeles.
She claimed World Champion Professional Watercraft Racer titles. She also had successful turn in film and television stunt work in addition to a side gig as a media personality and magazine columnist.
A sought after athlete for several commercial endorsements, Carlson became a go-to voice in the world of water sports, known for her outspoken views on jet ski related injuries, and for her volunteer work in helping the Coast Guard refine its search and rescue techniques.
But in 2002, Carlson opted to leave it all behind, relocating to Vestavia Hills after marrying Dr. Swaid N. Swaid.
Taking away the trappings of L.A. left Carlson (now Swaid) to dig her heels into her new community and all its cultural nuances.
One of the most charming, she discovered, food as a means of expressing hospitality and love, also struck her as one of the most potentially damaging.
“You can’t go to the bank without being offered a lollipop or the grocery store without seeing free cookies,” Swaid said. “It’s a beautiful culture of love, but unchecked, it’s also one that can set these children on the path toward preventable disease.”
Combining that with the physical fitness discipline she’d mastered after years in her dedicated sport, Swaid conceived the idea that would eventually become HEAL Alabama (Healthy Eating Active Living).
The nonprofit organization provides a free 20-week health curriculum to elementary schools for daily implementation during P.E. As of May 2015, the program is in 88 of Alabama’s 750 elementary schools, with funding provided by BlueCross Blue Shield of Alabama, Alabama Power and the Alabama State Department of Education. As collaborative partners, UAB’s Department of Medicine and Department of Education give the program its heft by providing measurable outcome data related to HEAL Alabama’s curriculum effectiveness.
Though still in its infancy (established 2007), HEAL Alabama has already caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Education. As interest in HEAL Alabama’s mission grows, Swaid said she’s focused most on expanding the program across the state, and operating out of a real office.
“We’re very lean in our overhead,” she quipped, noting that when large trucks began delivering pallets of HEAL Alabama material at the Swaid residence, her husband hinted that it might be time to open an official headquarters.
For her part, Swaid couldn’t be more thrilled.
“If we stay consistent and effective at the ground level, we can change the demographic of the state of Alabama,” she said. “If every elementary school in Alabama could begin doing the HEAL program, we could turn around our state’s health demographic. That means our children will have a greater chance to succeed academically and to thrive socially. Ultimately, that can have a profound effect on Alabama’s healthcare system, and its future economy.”
