My Heart Has a Story—and I’m Walking to Change the Ending
At 18 years old, I wasn't thinking about my heart. I was thinking about surviving.
Right out of high school I went into the Air Force; within months I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, luckily that's the 'cancer to have' as an 18 year old and thanks to the aggressive treatment I survived. I underwent intense chemotherapy and chest radiation. It worked—I beat the cancer. But the very treatment that saved my life at 18 began to quietly take a toll on my heart.
The Long Road to Today
What started as a victory over cancer snuck up on me 12 years later and I couldn't run from the damage to my arteries. At 30 years old I faced the kind of pain you never forget, surviving multiple heart attacks, numerous stents in multiple arteries and that eventually led to an open heart quadruple bypass surgery. After bypass, my arteries were in decent shape; but heart disease is a relentless opponent.
I began to notice a change in my energy, which led to being diagnosed with heart failure as my heart muscle continues to decline.
Why I Walk
I’m not sharing this for sympathy. I’m sharing this because research matters. * It matters for the survivor whose life-saving treatments today shouldn't mean heart failure tomorrow.
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It matters for the doctors who need better tools to repair hearts like mine. I'm working with the best cardiologist who prescribed the latest medicine and treatment and it's working. My heart is healing.
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It matters for everyone who deserves more time with their families.
I am walking in the American Heart Association Heart Walk this October because I am still here, still fighting, and still hopeful.
Join Me in the Fight
I have a big goal for this year’s walk, and I need your help to reach it. You can support me in two ways:
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Donate: Every dollar goes toward the AHA’s mission to fund life-saving research and education.
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Walk with Me: Join my team! Let’s show the world that heart disease doesn't get the final word.
Thank you for being part of my journey and for helping me turn my story into progress for others.