In 2019, my life changed in a way I never saw coming.
One moment I was living my normal life — teaching, leading, serving — and the next I was facing open-heart surgery.
I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I underwent open-heart surgery and later had an ICD implanted in my chest. Since then, my journey hasn’t been a straight line. It has included procedures, cardioversions, hospital stays, follow-up surgeries, and recovery seasons that felt longer than I ever imagined.
There were days I couldn’t work.
Days I couldn’t drive.
Days I couldn’t stand long without feeling exhausted.
As someone who has poured over 28 years into education, missing work wasn’t just physical — it was emotional. I love my students. I love serving. And having to step away, even temporarily, broke my heart.
There were nights I lay awake wondering, “God, why is this happening?”
There were moments of fear I didn’t show publicly.
There were times I smiled at work while quietly managing pain.
And yet…
I am still here.
I am still teaching.
Still leading.
Still writing.
Still building.
Still believing.
My faith in Jesus Christ has been my anchor through every hospital room, every surgical consult, every recovery setback. When my body felt weak, I leaned into the promise:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
My family has been my covering. My friends have been my support. They have driven me to appointments, prayed over me before procedures, sat in waiting rooms, and held me up when I felt low. I am walking because they walked with me.
This condition won't stop my calling.
Even while fighting heart disease, I have continued: showing up even when my body felt like giving up
Heart disease is not just statistics. It is hospital bracelets. It is scars. It is missed work days. It is medical bills. It is fatigue. It is fear.
But it is also resilience.
It is faith.
It is gratitude for every single heartbeat.
I walk because I am still fighting.
I walk because someone else is scared right now.
I walk because awareness saves lives.
I walk because God is not finished with me yet.
Thank you for supporting this journey and this cause.
Every step I take is proof that I didn’t quit.