Advocates who have seen firsthand the impacts of heart health play a key role in demonstrating the impacts of policies which support longer, healthier lives.   Shuron Abdullah is an advocate in Maryland who has been a relentless force for good since joining You’re the Cure. Shuron is a Retired Respiratory Therapy professional with 32…Read More…

It was a bright and sunny morning at my children’s elementary school here in San Diego, California. As was the custom, many parents, myself included, were rushing to drop off their kids, give them a hug and a kiss, and wish them a great day. I revel in embarrassing my son and daughter, as any…Read More…

American Heart Association advocate Jaelene Luper is an Instructor for the National Cheerleaders Association and a face you may have seen on the Netflix docuseries, “Cheer.” Having dealt with food insecurity briefly as a child, she has made it her personal mission to combat the hunger crisis in her community. After receiving the Lyrical Activist…Read More…

The physicians said during my first of five brain surgeries that it was unlikely that I would survive, and if I did, I likely would not be able to speak, move, read, or write ever again. At the age of 30, I suffered a massive ischemic stroke. I was trapped inside of my own body,…Read More…

Many people in their late 20’s find themselves settling down to build a family. Maybe they’re building their career – or even buying their first home.  What the majority of people are not doing is working through a congestive heart failure diagnosis, but that’s exactly what Tina Marie Marsden found herself doing.   Tina was…Read More…

Michael (Mike) Bourque is a resident of Portland, Maine, President and CEO of MEMIC, and volunteer leader for American Heart Association (AHA) in Maine. He received the Crystal Heart Award at the 2020 Maine Go Red for Women Luncheon for helping to make Maine a better place to live, work, and play through his commitment to…Read More…

Jammie Garcia has seen firsthand the effects of heart disease, and it led to her involvement as a volunteer.   In 2013, her father had gone to his doctor a couple of times with chest pains, but he was told it was likely just acid reflux. But then he felt the pains again, went to…Read More…

I am the product of my village. When I received the AHA Survivor Advocate of the Year award in DC years ago, I knew it was really not about me. That award is a culmination of those who invested in me and what I’ve learned up to this point. For more than 19 years now I have…Read More…

I began advocating against teen e-cigarette use when I was 14-years-old. As a freshman in high school, I looked around at my classmates and friends and was concerned about their newfound relationships with Juul. At this time the vaping epidemic was in its infancy and few adults had any sense of just how many kids…Read More…

Captain John Potvin is a firefighter/paramedic who serves as Director of Emergency Medical Services and Deputy Emergency Management Director for the East Providence Fire Department in Rhode Island. John has been a You’re the Cure advocate for more than a decade – and to say that he goes above and beyond as a volunteer is…Read More…