On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, I lost one of my best friends — my dad. I will never forget that day; it was the worst day of my life. I came home from work to find ten police cars outside our house, and my brother was the one who had to break the news: our dad had passed away from a heart attack. The heartbreak I felt in that moment was overwhelming.

While I’m grateful that he passed peacefully while taking a nap, I can’t help but wish we had encouraged him to go to the doctor more often. Maybe then we could have caught the signs sooner.

My dad had dealt with terrible back pain his whole life. He had undergone back surgeries and spent years getting daily chiropractic care. So when he went upstairs that Tuesday and told my mom his back was bothering him, it felt like any other day. He decided to lie down, as he often did when the pain flared up. But this time, it wasn’t normal back pain — it was a warning sign of the heart attack that was about to take him from us.

By the time my mom went to check on him, he was already gone.

I would never wish this kind of pain on anyone, especially the pain of finding someone you love after they’ve passed. That is why I’m participating in the Heart Walk — to spread awareness, to help raise money for better research and early detection, and most importantly, to honor my dad.

He wasn’t perfect, but he was the best dad and husband we could have ever hoped for, and we miss him every single day.