My father was the shoulders I stood on.
He was the first person in his entire family line to leave India. That one decision changed the trajectory of everyone who came after him, including mine. Everything I have built, including my family and the work I do caring for other people's parents, traces back to his courage.
In 2015, he died of a cardiac arrest at 62. There was no long goodbye. A man who spent his life opening doors for others didn't get to see what came through them.
I'm sharing this because his story is far from unusual. About 357,000 people in the U.S. suffer a cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year, and only about 9% survive. Most of them happen at home, which means the person in need is usually someone we love. When a bystander starts CPR right away, the odds of survival can double or triple.
That is why I'm taking part in Leaders of Impact. The American Heart Association funds the research, the CPR training, and the community programs that change those numbers. It measures success in longer, healthier lives, and I want more families to get the time with their fathers that mine didn't.
Will you join me in honoring my dad by helping our community live longer and healthier? Please click the Donate button to support the American Heart Association today.
Fundraising is open from September 17th at 9:00 am until November 4th at 9:00 pm. Every gift matters, and I'm deeply grateful for yours.