In Honor of My Grandmother

Heart disease and stroke has always been more than statistics...They are unfortunately part of my family's story.

My grandmother experienced her first stroke when she was just 54 years old-too young for our family to imagine how much our lives were about to change. Her journey with stroke continued for years, until we ultimately lost her battle in 2009.

Watching her in the hospital and ultimately losing her left a lasting impact on me, but it also gave me a deeply personal reason to care about heart disease and stroke.

Today, I have the privilege of turning that connection into action through my work with the American Heart Association.

For me, this is such a special way to honor my grandmother's life while helping build a future where fewer families have to experience the loss that mine did. Every granddaughter deserves to have her grandma at her wedding.

I hope you'll join me in honoring her memory and helping save lives.