Nine years ago, I survived a widow maker heart attack. The simple truth is that I am here today by the grace of God and because I happened to be married to a nurse who, at the time, specialized in cardiology.

I thought I had heartburn. I brushed it off. She didn’t.

She recognized what was happening, got me to the ER, and my life was saved.

Looking back, two things really stick with me. First, I was incredibly fortunate, and not everyone gets that same break. Second, I was woefully uninformed and unprepared when it came to my own heart health. I did not recognize the symptoms of a heart attack even as I was experiencing them.

That has stayed with me for ever since. 

I walk because I got a second chance. And if sharing my story, raising awareness, or supporting the American Heart Association helps someone recognize the signs sooner, take their health more seriously, or be there when someone else needs them, then it is worth it.

I was fortunate enough to have someone who knew the signs. Everyone should.