Heart disease is personal for me.
In December 2023, it showed up in two life-altering ways at the same time. My grandmother suffered a stroke, a moment that shook our family and forced us to confront how fragile life can be. That same month, my friend Toniya was recovering from SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection).
Two women I love. Two different heart-related emergencies. One shared truth: heart disease does not discriminate, and it doesn’t wait.
Witnessing both of them navigate fear, recovery, and uncertainty during the same moment in time changed me. It made the importance of awareness, research, and prevention impossible to ignore.
That is why I am proud to stand as a team member supporting Toniya, a Woman of Impact nominee with the American Heart Association. She has taken her experience and transformed it into advocacy—using her voice to educate women, elevate early warning signs, and push for better outcomes.
I joined this campaign in honor of my grandmother, in solidarity with Toniya, and in commitment to a future where fewer families experience moments like that December.
By supporting Toniya’s Woman of Impact campaign, you help fund life-saving research, education, and outreach that empower women and protect families.
Because heart health is not abstract—it’s lived.
And every heartbeat matters.