In a heartbeat, you could be the difference.

9 out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital don’t survive. Most of the time, it’s because no one nearby performed CPR. But together, we can change that.

Extraordinary things happen when people take action. A small step. A simple skill. A lifesaving moment. Heart Walk brings communities together to create health and hope for every heartbeat. Every walker who joins, every dollar donated, means more people trained in CPR, more research and more lifesaving moments for everyone.  

Extraordinary starts with YOU. Help me reach my goal today!

Why support the Heart Association.  

In my family heart issues are an everyday topic.  My father had a heart attack years ago.  It made us start to look at what we eat and analyze cholesterol numbers.  It was the first of many times to follow that you see how quickly you can lose a loved one.  My mother has survived two heart valve replacements.  She went into A-fib after the second replacement and while in the Cath-lab her heart stopped.  They gave her CPR and shocked her back to life.  However, she was in a coma and on a ventilator.  After two very long weeks, she finally started to wake up.  During her coma my father, my sister, and myself had to make decisions that could have ended her life.

I married the love of my life six years ago, he has CHF.  This is after several stokes and a “black widow” heart attack.  He is very luck to be alive.  He made the decision to have surgery and implant a pacemaker/defibrillator.  Four years ago, he went on a quest to lose weight and successfully lost over 200 lbs.  His life span before was less than 1 year.  After the weight loss, his doctor said he could live a normal life span.

So, you see my life has been affected by heart illnesses in all directions.  I could have easily lost the 3 most important people to me in a time span of less than 4 years.  I received late night phone calls for my father and mother’s incidents.  The 5-minute call could have said they passed away just as easily as they are in hospital, and we are not sure yet about the outcome.  My family is very luck to have the education and response to times like these.  I feel God has blessed my family so I can experience many more years with my husband.  My parents get to see their grandchildren and great grandchildren grow-up and the milestones.

This is why I chose to help the Heart Association.  They offer education, research, and assistance at times like these.  They work to offer the education and research before times like these happen.