At 9 years old, I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension after struggling to keep up with my teammates during sports. Pulmonary Hypertension is a disease that makes my heart work harder than others. 
I now take medication everyday to decrease the pressures in my heart and I am now feeling a lot better. I have routine visits with my cardiologist as well as tests and procedures to make sure everything is okay. 
The American Heart Association is important to me because it spreads awareness about heart health, advocacy and life saving techniques like CPR and AED use. 
I have met so many amazing people along my journey already with special hearts and I hope we can continue to learn how to treat and maybe even cure heart conditions! 
 
Did you know: 
9 out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital die. In most of those cases, bystander CPR was not performed. But we can change this. ​

 

Cardiac arrests happen at work, in homes, on athletic fields and in neighborhoods everywhere, and the readiness of our community can be the difference between life and death. ​

 

It's time to unite, take action, and save lives. Every walker who joins, every dollar donated, means more people trained in lifesaving CPR, more research and more lifesaving moments for everyone. ​

 

I Walk to Save Lives. Help me reach my goal today by joining our team or donating towards our goal. Together, we can turn bystanders into lifesavers.