When I was little, I walked in the Heart Walk in Atlanta with my Aunt Sally and jumped for joy during Jump Rope for Heart. I didn’t fully understand it then, but those moments stuck with me.

What I understand now is this: anyone’s life can change in an instant. When it does, access to affordable, quality health care can make all the difference.

Through my work with the American Heart Association, I see that reality every day. It’s why advocacy matters to me.

I feel a deep sense of pride and responsibility in helping advance policies that prevent disease, improve access to care, and save lives. This work goes far beyond any single campaign.

Recently, I finished Season 2 of The Pitt. While the characters aren’t real, their stories are. A child whose parent can’t afford medication. A patient stretching prescriptions to make ends meet. A family driving hours for care because their local hospital closed.

These aren’t just storylines. They reflect what millions of people face when access to care falls short.

That’s why I show up for the Heart Walk. It’s about making sure people can afford the care and medications they need. It’s also about protecting a strong biomedical research system that produces the treatments and cures patients rely on.

I’m asking you to join me.

Your donation supports lifesaving research, fuels advocacy that expands access to care, and powers programs that help people live longer, healthier lives. It helps ensure that when the worst happens, families don’t also face impossible choices.

I can’t do this alone. But together, we can create real change and protect the people we love before they need it.