My first and most important reason for walking is for my husband, Ben. Ben was born with aortic stenosis, a congenital heart defect that has impacted his entire life. At 39 years old, he has already endured 3 open heart surgeries, countless testing and constant worry. I walk for him so that research can continue and quality of life can improve for all of those dealing with these serious health issues. He is alive because of research and innovations that have not always been available.
My second reason for walking is for my patients. As a cardiothoracic RN, my unit cares for patients after they have had open heart surgery. My work is deeply personal to me and it brings me joy to see our patients progress, recover and return home. It also brings me to joy to care for not only my patients, but their families during an extremely trying time.
The fact is that we are all tied to heart disease in some way. Let us try to change that.
Your donation will fund groundbreaking research that has literally kept my husband's heart beating and helps people have longer, healthier lives. Thank you so very much.
