I walk because I have been personally touched by heart disease. In 2015, I was diagnosed with a genetic heart condition named hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM is a thickening and stiffening of the heart muscle making the heart work less efficiently and increasing the risk of cardiac arrest.
I am treated through regular monitoring via ultrasound scans, through blood pressure medications, and through an implanted cardiac defibrulator as insurance should I ever go into cardiac arrest. HCM has no cure today. The goal is to monitor and limit its progression. So far, I can still do most daily activities and live a fairly normal life, but nothing is guaranteed.
My kids have a 50% chance of getting this genetically from me. They were genetically tested and one of my three boys has the gene marker that can lead to developing the condition. I walk for him too.
Your donation will fund groundbreaking research that literally keeps hearts beating and helps people like me have longer, healthier lives. Maybe someday, there will be a treatment for HCM. Maybe someday, we can find a cure.
This year, as we celebrate the Centennial of the American Heart Association, we will move health and well-being forward in important and critical ways. This relentless pursuit will continue until heart disease and stroke no longer exist.
Have a heart and help me reach my goal today.