At 40 years old, I thought I had decades ahead of me. Then on New Year's Eve 2025, my heart stopped.

I was lifting my 85-pound dog, Merrell, into our truck. My heart had to work too hard, and it gave out. I was in cardiac arrest. What brought me back was CPR and a defibrillator in those first few minutes, before it was too late.

I was born with a congenital heart defect, the bicuspid aortic valve, or BAV.  I had lived my whole life without any idea it was there, and most people who have one don't know either. For me, it almost cost me everything before I ever found out.

The thing I think about most is everything that had to line up for me to still be here. My husband was right there, knowing how to administer CPR and a police officer with a defibrillator was literally down the street. One thing after another, each in the right order. If you take away a single piece, the chain breaks. I don't believe that was an accident.

CPR is the reason I got a second chance. Someone nearby knew what to do, and that is the only reason I'm still here. It's a hard thing to sit with, but it's also the most important thing I've learned. Knowing CPR, and knowing what to do when someone's heart stops, can be the difference between life and death for a person you love. It was for me.

I don't take a single day for granted now. I've always loved people, but now it's a mission. I strike up conversations with strangers. I hold the door a little longer. I try to be the light in someone's day, on purpose, every day.

That's why I'm walking. Most people aren't sure what to do in a cardiac emergency. I'm alive because the people around me were ready and acted. The American Heart Association trains people to be that ready, and funds the research that catches what's hidden and gives families like mine more time.

Please support my walk with a donation. Every dollar means more people trained to save a life, and more second chances like mine.

I'm still here, and I don't plan to waste it.