In the past five years, my life has been irrevocably changed by the devastating reach of heart disease and stroke. The grief began in 2021 when I lost my dear big sister, Heidi ? she was just 52 and gone in an instant to the sudden and rare force of Lymphocytic Myocarditis.
The heartbreak continued in 2022. My mom endured multiple strokes, a tragic consequence of the stage 4 pancreatic cancer that ultimately took her from us. And this year, we faced another frightful turn as my dad battled acute heart failure and cardiac tamponade, now living with the challenging reality of effusive constrictive pericarditis.
These experiences have taught me one profound truth: we cannot walk this path alone. Let's join forces ? not just for our own well-being, but for the health and future of our parents, our siblings, our children, and our grandchildren.
The Heart Walk is more than just an event; it's a collective stride towards a single, audacious goal: a world unshackled from the grip of heart disease and stroke.
Please remember: Heart disease remains the leading killer in our nation, and stroke ranks second globally. But here's the powerful truth ? you have the ability to make a difference, to change that narrative.
Will you open your heart and help me reach my goal today?
