As a pediatrician, everything I do begins with a simple promise: to give children the healthiest possible start in life. Few things make that promise more urgent than caring for children born with congenital heart disease. These are families who enter the world of medicine earlier than expected, carrying fear, hope, and extraordinary resilience all at once.

The American Heart Association has long stood beside these children and families, advancing research, improving early detection and treatment, and advocating for better outcomes not just in childhood, but across an entire lifetime. Because congenital heart disease doesn’t end at discharge, and it doesn’t disappear with age. The AHA’s commitment reminds us that care must be continuous, compassionate, and grounded in science.

I’m proud to walk in the 2026 Southern New England Heart Walk in support of this mission. Every step represents a child with a repaired heart, a family navigating uncertainty, and a future made brighter through advocacy, research, and community.

Thank you for walking with me, together, for every child, every heart, and every tomorrow.

Ed