Liz Sides
Why I'm Fundraising
I'm excited to be nominated for Go Red for Women's Woman of Impact campaign. As part of this year's class of changemakers, I've brought together a team that's working to make the greatest impact possible on women's health. We will be raising much-needed funds for the American Heart Association and working to improve the health of our communities. I hope we can count on your support!
In 2004, Go Red For Women was born as a campaign to raise awareness among women about their greatest health threat — heart disease. Slowly, the campaign grew into a movement bringing together thousands of women. Go Red for Women is the trusted, passionate force for change. It provides a platform for women and their families to lead healthier lives and transform communities. It's not just about wearing red. It's not just about sharing heart-health facts. It's about:
- Providing opportunities for women to take charge of their health
- Building communities that support access to healthy choices
- Demanding equal access to health care for all women and their families
- Increasing women in STEM in upcoming generations
Our team is focused on preventing heart disease and stroke. We're promoting healthy lifestyles, building awareness and raising critically-needed funds to support research and education initiatives. Cardiovascular diseases, which include heart disease and stroke, claim the life of a woman about every 80 seconds. We hope you will join us on our mission because about 80% of these diseases may be prevented.
The time is now. Women are leaning into the idea that when we take a stand, commit, and work together, real change is possible. To support my campaign, click on the Donate to Nominee button below.
Milwaukee Woman of Impact - Spring 2026
Liz Sides
My story with heart disease began long before I understood what it truly meant.
In 1983, my grandmother underwent triple bypass surgery. I was just a little girl, too young to fully understand what was happening — I only knew that her heart was sick. Even then, I remember the fear. I remember knowing something serious was happening to someone I loved so deeply.
And yet, I was blessed. I had my grandmother for nine more years!
Years later, heart disease would come for my family again.
In 2001, my dad underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Since then, he has faced additional heart procedures, but by the grace of God, he is doing well. Every Christmas since his surgery, I have given him a heart ornament — a small but meaningful reminder of life, resilience, and gratitude. Today, he has 24 heart ornaments, and this year we will celebrate his 25-year anniversary.
Twenty-five years.
What a gift.
What a blessing.
And what a reminder that not every family gets that kind of time.
Because heart disease has not only touched my family — it has touched my friends, my colleagues, and people I love deeply. I have seen the heartbreak. I have seen the fear. I have seen the way one phone call, one diagnosis, one unexpected moment can change everything.
That is why being nominated for Go Red for Women’s Woman of Impact Campaign, benefiting the American Heart Association, has meant so much to me.
This is not just a campaign.
This is personal.
This is for my grandmother.
This is for my dad.
This is for my niece, who was born with a heart defect and reminds us every single day just how precious life is.
This is for the friends and family members we have loved and lost.
And this is for a beloved colleague who passed away suddenly last summer due to a heart attack — a loss that still sits heavy on so many hearts.
Heart disease does not always announce itself.
It does not always look the way we expect it to.
And too often, especially for women, the warning signs are missed, minimized, or misunderstood.
That is why this work matters.
As this campaign comes to a close, I find myself reflecting not only on the lives that have been impacted by heart disease, but on the conversations this journey has sparked, the stories that have been shared with me, and the many reminders that this cause touches far more people than we often realize.
Heart disease is personal for so many of us.
And yet, there is also so much hope.
Hope in awareness.
Hope in prevention.
Hope in research.
Hope in action.
If this campaign has taught me anything, it is that our stories matter. Sharing them matters. Showing up for one another matters. And choosing to care — deeply, intentionally, and loudly — can make a difference.
As we near the end of this journey, I am filled with gratitude, humility, and a heart that is fuller than I can put into words.
Thank you for walking alongside me.
Thank you for caring.
And thank you for helping support a future where more women, more families, and more loved ones have the chance to live longer, healthier lives.
Because this work is not just about today.
It is about every heartbeat that still deserves tomorrow. ❤
