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Carly Pearce said her own heart condition “has made me even more passionate” about health care for women.
Pearce, 34, who was diagnosed with pericarditis, was honored for her advocacy for women’s heart health at the 2025 Seton Celebration Gala. The event was hosted on Saturday (April 5) at The Pinnacle at Nashville Yards in Nashville, Tennessee. The honorees, Pearce and cardiologist Dr. John Bright Cage, “epitomize the values of love, service, and selflessness modeled by Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, for whom this event is named,” per a previously-issued Ascension Saint Thomas Foundation press release.
The hummingbird artist shared a few photos from the celebration on Instagram on Monday evening (April 7). Pearce wrote in her caption that her own diagnosis has made her more passionate about women’s health care (a journey that aligns with Ascension Saint Thomas Heart Women’s Program’s mission, the release states). She also spotlighted the irony that she and her friends were seated at table 29, an unintentional nod to her emotional ballad that served as the title track of her 2021 record, 29: Written in Stone.
“I celebrated this past weekend as I was given the Seton Honor from Saint Thomas hospital for my advocacy for women’s heart health,” Pearce wrote. “The past year, recurrent pericarditis has altered the way I live my life and has made me even more passionate about making sure every woman is her own best advocate when it comes to health care. The icing on the cake was the fact that I was seated with my friends at table 29… and it was truly just a coincidence.”
Pearce opened up about her pericarditis diagnosis last year. The condition means swelling and irritation of the tissue surrounding the heart, according to Mayo Clinic. She's since opened up about the diagnosis publicly many times, including in an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Pearce said she “wanted to be honest with it because my shows look a little bit different right now, and also, just, I’m a young, healthy person that takes care of themselves, and my body told me something was wrong. And so, I just want people to listen to their body because you never know. ...it’s crazy because I’m a runner and I’m like, ‘oh, my heart’s healthy.’ I don’t know.”
Pearce shared another update over the summer, assuring fans that she’s “doing really well” after following her doctor’s orders, and managed to start exercising regularly again. “I am doing great, thanks for asking.”