On May 11, 2025, my life changed in an instant. What started as gardening on Mother's Day became the day I suffered a heart attack. Four days later, on May 15, I underwent open heart surgery at Southlake Health.
There’s something surreal about hearing the words “heart attack.” It forces you to confront your mortality in a way nothing else does. I remember the fear. I remember the uncertainty. But more than anything, I remember the people.
The surgeons who quite literally put my heart back together. The nurses who cared for me with patience and compassion during my most vulnerable moments. The kinesiologists who pushed me safely but confidently when I wasn’t sure what my body could handle. The nutritionists who helped me completely rethink my relationship with food. The volunteers who showed up with smiles, encouragement, and reassurance that I wasn’t alone.
The Southlake Cardiac Rehabilitation Program didn’t just help me recover physically, it rebuilt me mentally and emotionally. It gave me structure when I needed direction. It gave me confidence when I doubted myself. It gave me community when I felt isolated.
Today, I feel better than ever.
I’ve adopted a new diet. I’m in the gym six days a week. I’m stronger, more disciplined, and more grateful than I’ve ever been. But that transformation didn’t happen by accident. It happened because of a team that believed in me, monitored me, educated me, and supported me every step of the way.
After six months in the program, I’m about to graduate. And while I’m proud of how far I’ve come, I know I didn’t do it alone.
That’s why I’m raising money for the Southlake Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.
Because someone else is going to hear the words “heart attack.”
Someone else is going to feel the fear I felt.
And someone else is going to need the exact same support that carried me through.
This is my chance to give back to the people who gave me my strength, my health, and my confidence again.
Thank you to every single person at Southlake who helped me heal. You didn’t just fix my heart — you helped me rebuild my life.
Now it’s my turn to help the next person do the same.