9 out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital do not survive. In most cases, bystander CPR is not performed. But that can change.

On June 15, 2017, my sweet mother, Sandi, died suddenly from cardiac arrest caused by a heart attack. She had just been given a clean bill of health on her heart. There was no warning. One moment she was here, and the next she was gone.

Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time. My mom’s passing changed the way I see everything.

I miss her every single day. She was my best friend, my favorite person to talk to, and the most loving grandma to my boys. Her heart was who she was. She loved people deeply and without condition.

Losing her broke something in me, but it also changed me. I took control of my health, had gastric bypass surgery, and now walk every single day because I want more time with my wife and kids. I do not want them to feel the loss I carry.

I also can’t shake the thought that if more people had known CPR in her circle, or if signs may have been noticed, things might have been different. That realization never leaves me.

As I approach nine years since losing her, I feel a deep pull to walk in her honor and for every family who may face the same moment.

Every dollar helps train lifesavers, fund research, and give someone else a fighting chance. Together, we can turn bystanders into lifesavers.

I Walk to Save Lives. Help me reach my goal today.