Heart disease impacts so many families in our community, and I see it firsthand through my work with The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute. It has also touched my own life in a deeply personal way. I lost my dear friend Tasha suddenly at just 39 years old — a reminder that heart disease doesn’t always look the way we expect and that it can take people far too soon.

I’ve watched our physicians save lives — even in cases where patients were turned away elsewhere because their conditions were too complex. Those outcomes are possible because of innovation, advanced treatments and research that continue to push cardiac care forward.

This year, I’m honored to serve on the Executive Leadership Board for the Heart Mini to help support the American Heart Association’s mission to fund lifesaving research, prevention and education.

I’m walking for the patients and families who rely on these breakthroughs — for women like Tasha — and for my children, so they can grow up in a healthier world with stronger hearts and brighter futures.

Every dollar raised helps fuel the research and programs that make these life-saving moments possible.

Thank you for supporting this important cause.