For sophomore Annie Slocum, blood clot awareness and fundraising begin in the garden. Through her new charity organization, she combines her love of plants with her passion for raising awareness for blood clot risks in athletes. Annie’s organization, POTS for Clots, benefits the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) by fundraising for the upcoming 2024 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon.
The NBCA is a patient-led, non-profit health advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of life-threatening blood clots, such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms, according to stoptheclot.org. The NBCA invites medical professionals, blood clot patients and survivors, and community leaders with a passion for blood clot awareness to get involved with their mission. The NBCA and its partner organizations host events throughout the year, providing volunteer opportunities to advocate and fundraise for blood clot research.
The NBCA Sports and Wellness Institute’s Team Stop the Clot is specifically dedicated to raising awareness and funds for patients and survivors of sports-related blood clots. In 2020, Mrs. Katie Hoff, American swimmer, three-time Olympic Medalist, and blood clot survivor, joined the NBCA as the first ambassador for the NBCA Sports and Wellness Institute: Team Stop the Clot.
“I am beyond grateful and honored to be joining NBCA as an official ambassador for their Sports & Wellness Institute,” Mrs. Hoff said, according to stoptheclot.org. “I am looking forward to bringing more awareness, resources, and action toward this disease to help save more lives and improve the lives of those who survive.”
The NBCA is an official 2024 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon charity partner. Annie volunteers for the half marathon, and this involvement led her to found a charity organization in December 2023. Annie’s project, POTS for Clots, will collect donations to support Team Stop the Clot. Inspired by her love for plants, Annie decided that for any donation over $15, the donor would receive a succulent plant.
As an athlete and blood clot survivor herself, Annie felt motivated to join Team Stop the Clot to support the cause in athletes. In spring 2022, Annie underwent treatment for a blood clot related to athletics. She had swum competitively since she was 5 years old and practiced on intense training schedules. Annie explained how she found out she had developed a swimming-related blood clot.
“One day at practice, all of a sudden, I lost feeling in my arm. I couldn’t feel anything and couldn’t keep swimming. We weren’t really sure what was going on,” Annie said. “We played volleyball that week in gym [class], so the doctor thought that it was probably just a really bad muscle sprain. They did an ultrasound and found a blood clot. […] The doctors were immediately extremely concerned because they had never seen a blood clot in a 13-year-old girl, and they didn’t know why. My mom and I were extremely terrified.”
Doctors at another hospital later determined that Annie’s blood clot was a result of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). TOS occurs when there is pressure on blood vessels or nerves in the area between the neck and shoulder, according to mayoclinic.org. Repetitive overhead motion, especially in jobs or sports, can often cause TOS. This condition is an extreme risk for swimmers, considering the rigorous training and inevitable repetitive overhead motion. Annie emphasized how, despite the likelihood, medical professionals sometimes overlook the possibility of blood clots in young athletes.
“I probably had it for at least ten years, since I was swimming from such a young age, but physical therapists and doctors just told me, ‘You’re just sore, it’s not a big deal’ because I really had no symptoms before it,” Annie said. “This is kind of where my passion to raise awareness for thoracic outlet syndrome started because a lot of doctors don’t automatically look for it in athletes, but it’s becoming much more common.”
When she was not undergoing extensive treatment or surgery to remove the clot, Annie cultivated her love for all things plants. Her time in treatment did not hinder her hobby of gardening. Almost two years clot-free, she has already raised over $3,000, combining her passion for plants and blood clot awareness through POTS for Clots for the half marathon.
Although she does not competitively swim anymore, Annie still enjoys athletics and is now a member of the Sacred Heart Greenwich varsity rowing team. As a strong advocate for blood clot awareness, Annie strives to spread awareness for TOS, especially to teen athletes. There is currently a lack of information in the medical field regarding the condition in young people, particularly athletes, because of how rare it is. Annie stated that doctors first need to have more knowledge about this syndrome, but athletes also need to take care of their bodies and know the symptoms of TOS.
“Since athletics are so demanding, especially for teenagers, this is going to become more common, so there needs to be more awareness for it in the medical community,” Annie said. “I think for people in the Sacred Heart community, just by learning about this and spreading awareness to athletes is the number one way we can help the problem.”
Featured Image by Caroline Gammon ’26
