My “why” has a name, a face, and a story that will forever be a part of mine.
On December 17, 2023, my father-in-law, Mr. Mark, suffered a devastating cardiac event. A bystander called 911, and a neighbor immediately began CPR and continued until the ambulance arrived. Despite those efforts and the care he received, we tragically lost him the following morning, December 18, 2023.
Mr. Mark had lived with an extensive history of cardiovascular disease. Our family experienced firsthand just how deeply heart disease can affect not only the person living with it, but everyone who loves them.
His heart journey is a huge part of why I am so passionate about cardiology and why the work I do as a cardiac nurse means so much to me. In many ways, our stories have been intertwined since the very beginning of my career. On the day of my nursing school pinning ceremony, Mr. Mark was in the hospital undergoing a five-vessel coronary artery bypass surgery. After that pinning ceremony, I went on to begin my nursing career on a Cardiac Stepdown Unit in Louisiana. Eight years later, I am now a nurse for a cardiologist here in Memphis, Tennessee.
Every patient I care for is someone’s husband, wife, father, mother, grandparent, or best friend. Behind every diagnosis is a family hoping for more time with someone they love.
Losing my father-in-law gave my work an even deeper purpose. It reminds me why prevention matters, why education matters, why CPR matters, why continued research and advances in cardiovascular care matter—and why organizations like the American Heart Association matter.
I cannot change what happened to our family on December 18, 2023, but I can allow his life and his story to fuel the work I do for others.
I support the American Heart Association in his memory, for the patients I have the privilege of caring for every day, and for every family hoping for more birthdays, more holidays, more ordinary days, and simply more time with the people they love.
This is my why.