I’ve been walking the Heart Walk for many years now, and it’s incredible to see how much technology has advanced over the years, helping to improve the lives of those affected by heart disease.
When my dad passed away from heart disease in the late '80s, he was just 54 years old. Stents were still a relatively new thing back then. Heart disease runs deep in my family. Both of my dad’s parents, my grandparents, also died from heart disease. My grandmother passed at 54 from congestive heart failure, and my grandfather was just 49 when he died from a heart attack. I never got the chance to meet him, as he passed before I was born.
Heart disease didn’t stop with my dad. My mom has also battled with heart issues. She’s had a heart attack and three strokes. At 83 years old now, she’s still going strong, thanks to medical advances, with three stents keeping her heart healthy. And then there’s my stepdad, who fought his own battles—heart attack, valve repair, pacemaker, and finally an internal defibrillator that kept him alive for many years.
But the most recent heartbreak for our family came with the loss of my younger, and only, sister. She was only 54 when she passed in her sleep from heart disease.
This is why I walk every year. And this year, more than ever, I want to raise as much as I can to support an organization that’s literally saving lives.
It's time to unite, act, and save lives. Every dollar donated, means more people trained in lifesaving CPR, more research and more lifesaving moments for everyone. Together, we can turn bystanders into lifesavers.