As you all hopefully know by now, I joined the American Heart Association full time in January because I felt it was important to tie my career to what mattered to me most - making a difference in healthcare in tangible and lasting ways. While I've been hanging around the healthcare hoop for (gulp) 35 years, the connection between the work and the impact always felt a little too distant. I feel like I've closed that gap by joining AHA, and it is a gratifying experience. By the way, that's me, up above, with Nancy Brown, the amazing CEO of AHA.
I am fortunate to lead the venture capital initiatives of the AHA, including our recently formed Go Red for Women's Venture Fund focused on women's health. Did you know that cardiovascular disease is far and away the number one cause of death in women? Too many don't realize the toll that cardiovascular and brain health take on women due to the way they disproportionately affect women, differentially affect women and the ways in which these problems are under-diagnosed, undertreated and underappreciated. We are setting out to change that.
AHA is particularly close to, well, my heart because cardiovascular disease, stroke and broader brain health are the core of its purpose and those have been pretty prevalent challenges in my family and the families of most everyone I care about. My mother died of a stroke. My grandmother died of heart failure. My father-in-law died of a brain disorder. I, myself, had a crazy run in with Superventricular Tachycardia, now corrected by cardiovascular interventions that would not exist were it not for the research and scientific advancement funded by the AHA, among others, that share the mission to change the trajectory of heart disease.
In addition to my work and my own financial contributions, I want to keep supporting AHA's efforts by helping the organization raise money during Heart Walk month and this, their Centennial year. That money will support great efforts in clinical discovery, program development, health equity and innovation. As someone who basically raises money for a living and turns around and gives it to innovators to help all of us be healthier, it would make my heart even warmer if you would join me in this endeavor. Please consider making a donation, however large or small, to this great organization to which I have now committed both my career and my passion for change. When you look around and realize how many people you love have been affected by heart disease and, hopefully, helped by the efforts funded and proliferated by the AHA, you will know it's a great investment :)
Thanks for considering supporting my fundraising efforts here. Your donation, no matter how big or how small, will make a real difference.
Warmly, Lisa
