I support the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk because of the journey I’ve lived through. I experienced a heart transplant, followed by a period of intense recovery physically, emotionally, and mentally. I faced the challenge of adjusting to a new heart, learning a complex medication regimen, coping with the fear and uncertainty of needing a second heart surgery, and balancing that with finishing my PhD and stepping into new roles in life and career.

During that time, I felt the deep value of family, community, hope, and research. The AHA’s work in advancing cardiovascular health, supporting survivors, and funding life-saving research matters to me because it represents the very difference that gave me a second chance. I walk because each step honors the survivors, the medical teams, the donors, the supporters, and the everyday heroes such as patients, families, and friends who face heart disease.

This cause is deeply personal. My walk isn’t just a fundraiser; it’s a testament to survival, resilience, transition, and gratitude. By standing alongside others in the Heart Walk, I am saying that I survived, I thrive, I believe in a future where heart disease can be prevented or beaten, and I will keep walking.

-Latiya