As some of you may know, I am a past President of the Board of Directors of the Rochester American Heart Association. I believe that this organization is of vital importance for the patients I care for as a pediatric cardiologist, and I joined the board to try to increase awareness of what we do with and for our patients and of the issues that kids with acquired and congenital heart disease face. I also joined to give back to the AHA, since I have received funding from them for my research. Although I always considered the AHA just as a major research funding agency, I have been surprised to find that most of their funding goes to the community and not to research. Therefore, I think that there is a lot we could do for our patients if we support the AHA.
On top of this, I am sure that everyone’s life has been affected by adult heart disease and stroke, as these are the nation's No. 1 and No. 5 killer.
Thus, I Heartwalk for the millions of people who have been affected and for their loved ones. I Heartwalk for people just like you and me who want to help make our communities healthier, more active places. With your donation, we will fight for a future where a parent does not have to hear that their child has a heart defect. A future where an adult does not have to face the uncertain times ahead after receiving a diagnosis of heart disease or suffering from a stroke. A future where you and I will know that we had a part in making this possible.