Hearts for Rose: Walking for the People We Love

On November 9, 1991, my Grandma Rose passed away from a heart attack. I was 10 years old and did not understand heart disease. I only knew that my favorite person was gone.

As I grew older, I learned that Grandma Rose had diabetes, high blood pressure, and excess weight. I also learned that all of her siblings had died from heart attacks. Heart disease was not just part of her story. It was part of my family’s story.

More than 30 years later, on February 15, 2023, my father suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. He became short of breath and experienced chest pain during physical therapy. Shortly afterward, he lost consciousness. CPR was started, but because my parents lived in a rural area of Pennsylvania, it took approximately 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. My father did not survive.

Later, through my work with the American Heart Association, I learned about Hands-Only CPR. I was struck by how simple it is to learn and devastated by the thought that a faster response might have given my dad another chance.

That is why I created Hearts for Rose, named for the grandmother I loved and lost far too soon. I walk for her, for my father, and for every family affected by heart disease, stroke, and cardiac arrest.

I am raising funds to help more people understand their risks, recognize a cardiac emergency, and learn Hands-Only CPR. You should not have to work for the American Heart Association to know how to protect your health or help save a life.

Please consider donating, joining my team, walking with us, or sharing my story. Together, we can help give more families more knowledge, more hope, and more time with the people they love.