At the end of 2013, my family suffered a tremendous loss. My brother Frank passed away suddenly in the night from a silent heart attack. Over the next year, we sought out ways to cope. The September after he passed, I walked in the Boston Heart Walk with my niece. The following year, the rest of the family joined us. A new family tradition was born and the community we found at the walk renewed our strength. We took the chance to honor and remember him, and support heart health at the same time.
For the past few years, the pandemic has paused our participation but the knowledge and community we had found stayed with us. Last May, I was reminded of the many survivors I saw every year at the Hatch shell waving their white hats when I got the news that my brother in law had a stroke. It was a scary time, but he pulled through and learned that the stroke was in part caused by a PFO. He is still here with us today thankfully and I know that research done by the AHA is in part to thank for that.
In late July, my family was excitedly gearing up to go to Aruba. We had been talking about it since the previous thanksgiving and everyone was looking forward to what the next week would entail. My dad, being in his late 80's, decided to get checked out by his doctor ahead of the flight to make sure he wouldn't have any issues with traveling. Thank God he did! His blood pressure was sky high and his heart rate was abnormally low. He went from his normal appointment to the Emergency room to being admitted. After a few hours, we learned he would need to have a pacemaker put in the next day. I left work and headed to his hospital room. At one point, some student doctors came in with their teacher and began asking him questions. I listened as their teacher explained various things about my father's condition and I was reminded of the wealth of information I used to receive from American Heart Association every year. It was comforting to think back on the many survivors I had met at various AHA events leading up to the heart walk. I started googling as he spoke, and the first information that popped up for me was from the American Heart Association.
I realized then and there in my father's hospital room that we needed to walk again this year. Where the walk had originally been a comfort in our grief, it was now an expression of our gratitude. We had once walked to give hope to others, but now in these dire moments, it gave hope to us. If not for the knowledge and research conducted through the AHA, my father and my brother in law's outcomes might've been very different. We are so fortunate to have them both still with us.
Both survived thanks to medical advancements made possible by the American Heart Association’s research.
These experiences made us realize how important the Heart Walk is. It's no longer just about grieving my brother; it's about celebrating life and supporting a cause that saved our family. We're grateful for the chance to give back.
I walk because I know that with every step, I am saving lives.
We're all tied to heart disease and stroke in some way. We have to change that. Will you help me?
Your donation will fund groundbreaking research that literally keeps hearts beating and helps people have longer, healthier lives.
This year, as we celebrate the Centennial of the American Heart Association, we will move health and well-being forward in important and critical ways. This relentless pursuit will continue until heart disease and stroke no longer exist.
Have a heart and help me reach my goal today.