I run because the American Heart Association helped save my mother’s life and, in doing so, made my life possible.

My mom, Dawn Daley, was born on April 15, 1970. Just four months later, my grandparents noticed something was wrong. She was not gaining weight and was not reaching the milestones expected of a healthy infant. At a routine medical appointment, doctors delivered devastating news. My mom was failing to thrive because she was born with two serious congenital heart defects, coarctation of the aorta and patent ductus arteriosus. Both conditions were life threatening.

At the time, medical insurance would not cover the cost of the complex cardiovascular surgery she needed to survive because her condition was considered pre existing. My grandparents, Randy and Shirley Zipf, were suddenly faced with an impossible situation. They had a critically ill newborn and no clear way to afford the care that could save her life.

Thanks in part to funding provided by the American Heart Association, my grandparents were able to get my mom the lifesaving surgery and follow up cardiac care she desperately needed. The odds were daunting. The surgery carried only a fifty percent survival rate. Even then, my mom proved just how strong she was.

Today, my mom is a light to everyone who knows her. She is resilient, compassionate, and endlessly inspiring. Quite simply, my life would not exist without hers. I am forever grateful to the American Heart Association for helping to save her life and for giving me the chance to live mine.

Please consider making a donation to this incredible organization. Your support helps fund research, care, and hope for families facing the same fear mine once did. Your contribution truly saves lives.

Thank you so much for your support.