I am a heart surgery survivor. Not because I did everything right, but because the right people and the right research were there when I needed them.

In 2011, my life changed in an instant. A sinus of valsalva aneurysm rupture left me no choice but to undergo open heart surgery. I was stunned. I was scared. And ultimately, I was very lucky.

After recovering, I started my journey with the American Heart Association - and what I learned changed my perspective forever. The AHA funds groundbreaking research into heart health, health equity, and the very systems of care that helped save my life. I also learned a sobering fact: 9 out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital do not survive - often simply because no one nearby knew CPR.

That is why I walk. Every dollar raised means more people trained in CPR, more life-saving research funded, and more families spared the fear and uncertainty I once faced. Extraordinary things happen when communities come together around a common cause.

Please consider supporting my Heart Walk campaign. A small gift. A simple act. A potentially life-saving difference.

Together, we can make sure more people get the second chance I did.