March 19, 2026 — 5:35 p.m.

That's the moment everything changed.

I realized something was wrong. My chest tightened, my arm started hurting, and then I began sweating profusely. At first, I thought about simply going home from work and lying down, chalking it up to being tired. But the symptoms were something I couldn't ignore.

I called an ambulance because I had listened to the advice that minutes matter.

When I arrived at the hospital, I was told I was having a STEMI—a heart attack. My right coronary artery was 100% blocked. I was scared. I didn't know exactly what was happening, or what was about to happen.

The doctors were able to open the artery and place a stent, and that decision and those minutes ultimately saved my life.

March 19th changed almost everything for me. Some of those changes have been difficult, but others have been blessings.

Since that day, I've exercised every day, lost a significant amount of weight, completely changed the way I eat, and—most importantly—I quit smoking. Quitting smoking has been one of the best things to come out of all of this.

The hardest part, though, has been the mental side.

I'm constantly afraid it could happen again. A little pain or strange feeling in my chest can immediately take me back to March 19th. Even though it has been just over six months, I still think about that day almost every single day. Sometimes it feels like Groundhog Day—reliving those moments and wondering what might have happened if I had made a different decision that evening.

But I'm still here.

I feel incredibly fortunate to be here, to wake up every day, and to have the opportunity to celebrate the little things that I once took for granted.

Cardiac rehab was a huge part of my recovery, not just physically but mentally. The nurses at Kettering Health in Hamilton, Ohio, were—and continue to be—amazing. I truly can't say enough about the way they treated me and every other patient around me. They helped make a frightening experience a little less frightening.

I know I still have work to do. Each day gets a little better, even though I still think about that day every day.

That's why I wanted to walk with the American Heart Association.

For me, this walk is about more than walking 5K. It's about being here. It's about recovery. It's about honoring how far I've come and being part of something bigger than myself.

Six months ago, I wasn't sure what the next few minutes were going to bring.

Today, I'm here.

And I'm grateful for every single day.