On an ordinary Sunday in November 2025, 18-year-old Amarion Sanchez-Thompson’s life changed in an instant. At home in Hutchinson, Kansas, Amarion suddenly went into cardiac arrest and collapsed in the bathroom. His mother, Cynthia Sanchez, was nearby when she heard him gasp for air and then a loud crash. “I yelled his name, and he…Read More…

Medicaid saved her life and sparked a legacy of advocacy   Above photo: In 2009, Yolanda and nine-year-old Ilana met North Carolina state Senator Harris Blake in his office to encourage him to pass legislation requiring smoke-free bars and restaurants in North Carolina. The law passed that year and was implemented in 2010. Before Yolanda Dickerson ever stepped into a lawmaker’s office or shared her story from a podium, she was a fragile…Read More…

Sasha Trajkovski is an undergraduate student majoring in Biology and Chemistry at Valparaiso University from Crown Point, Indiana. Sasha sits on the American Heart Association’s Indiana State Advocacy Committee and is the President of the Valparaiso University Heart Club.  I knew when coming to college that I wanted to get involved and find an organization…Read More…

Above Photo: From left, American Heart Association Heart Powered advocate and employee Jocelyn Vega, community impact director, was presented the Health Impact Award of Excellence by Valerie Gates, region associate executive vice president, Development & Community Health. On right, Lyzeth Mondragon, vice president of community impact, was also celebrated for her hard work in Chicagoland.   From hunger to Heart: How one advocate turned childhood struggle into her life’s work  Jocelyn Vega learned what hunger felt like long before she understood why it existed in her…Read More…

Above photo: Catherine Zalewski feels grateful to have her healthy, wonderful children Jaxon (left) and Ava (right). She suffered a postpartum stroke with each child, just months after they were born. Her children inspired her to learn to walk and talk again.  Two Strokes, One Purpose: A mother’s story of recovery and resolve After surviving two postpartum strokes, Catherine Zalewski turned recovery into a…Read More…

Above Photo: From left to right, Former Washington Government Relation Director Alex Hamasaki, Washington State Advocacy Committee Chair Turner Prewitt and members of the WASHINGTON State Advocacy Committee, Holly Tucci and Karen Dionne mug at capitol steps at the 2026 State Heart at the Capitol Lobby Day. A gifted heartbeat became his call to serve Heart Powered advocate Turner Prewitt turned survival into action  For nearly a year, Turner Prewitt measured life in small moments – slow steps across the room, quiet…Read More…

Crystal, a fit Portland mom, nearly became a statistic: 90% of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital don’t survive, often because they don’t receive CPR in time. In 2020, after a run, Crystal collapsed at home. Her husband called for their son to dial 911, and the dispatcher calmly coached them through Hands-Only…Read More…

Above photo: In 2025, Erin and Memphis Zabawa flew to Washington, D.C. to tell their story and urge elected officials to fund the HEARTS Act.   A teacher, a mom and a moment that changed everything  Fifth grade teacher Erin Zabawa still finds it hard to talk about CPR in schools without getting emotional. Not because she teaches it – but because one day,…Read More…

Above photo: Emerson Kelley with her parents, Shawn and Lindsay During the 2026 Wyoming Legislative Session, advocates from across the state traveled to Cheyenne to talk to their lawmakers about requiring cardiac emergency response plans in schools. One of the youngest advocates, Emerson Kelley, spoke to the group about surviving cardiac arrest as a 10-year-old. She…Read More…

My name is Tracey M. Brown, and I am a stroke survivor, wellness advocate, and founder of BodyTraceFit and Stroking In My Stilettos. In 2019, my life changed instantly when I suffered a stroke that left the left side of my body paralyzed. At the time, I was a full-time entrepreneur running my own gym…Read More…