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As the American Heart Association continues to prioritize CPR training, especially for New York's high school students, we have come across some of the most amazing advocates who are working tirelessly to support our policy work. But heroes come from every walk of life and anyone who is focused on...

Louise Beaulieu Maine "People say to me if I had a heart attack, anyone could. This was a wake-up call to everyone." Louise feels it is imperative that she share her story with other Maine women, so that they take care of themselves so that they can be around for their families.　 This...

Mindy Beyer Scarborough, Maine I was born with a complex congenital heart condition. My parents were told that if I made it to the age of three I would be lucky. I am now 34 years old and a cardiac nurse. Recently, (much to the amazement of my cardiologist), I became a mother to a beautiful baby boy...

Jennifer Damon Maine In January of 2006, I was working the overnight shift at a rehab for women when I started feeling the “classic” symptoms of a heart attack. I was 31 years old and thought that I was too young to be having a heart attack, so I ignored those first symptoms. I noticed...

Richard Veilleux Maine In March 1980 I was expecting a visit from my Mom and Dad. Instead, I got a phone call from my brother telling me that my Dad had suffered a heart attack. That was the first of several cardiac problems my father has lived through. Now, 32 years later, he is still going strong...

Matt Keene New Hampshire In October of 2006, I was a high school athlete on the football field when I collapsed and stopped breathing, a victim of sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 17.　 Thanks to the staff at Kimball Union Academy who used their CPR training and their automated external defibrillator...

Len Wallace Connecticut I was born in 1982 with a rare congenital heart defect known as an endocardial cushion defect with a hypoplastic left ventricle. In laymen’s terms, I was born with a weakened left ventricle which would take a pulmonary banding in my infancy to the time I was eight years...

Michaela Gagne Massachusetts As a student at Durfee High School, Michaela was a top scholar-athlete and graduated in the Top 10 of her class of 500 students. She was a three-sport varsity athlete, participating in basketball, soccer and track and field. During her senior year, she was diagnosed with...

Judy Richards Massachusetts Judy’s daughter Kayla was a healthy and active 22-year-old. She had just entered the Radiographic Technology Program at Massasoit Community College, and was working at Jordan hospital in the diagnostic imaging program. A healthy young girl, she worked out often at...

Amy Wolfe Massachusetts Amy Wolfe is a stay at home mother of 3 wonderful children; Allison, Andrew, and Ryan. Her oldest child, Allison, was born in 1999 with a very severe form of heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot. In addition to her diagnosis of TOF, she was also found to have a snaking...

Bert and Brenda Carey Massachusetts Many spouses watch television together. Many longtime married couples travel or go to the theater or play golf or take the grandkids swimming. Brenda and Bert Carey have a different kind of special bond. How many wives and husbands can say they went through quadruple...

Debra and Christopher Bader Massachusetts Debra Bader was taking a walk in the woods with her 53-year-old husband Chris one morning when suddenly he collapsed. At first she thought the situation was hopeless. "I looked at him and said, 'He's dead,' because he wasn't moving or...

John and Luann Ellsessar Massachusetts Michael wore No.99 on his football jersey, but his parents would say that he was No. 1 in their hearts. Michael loved all sports, playing football in the fall, track and field in the spring, but his passion was hockey in the winter. He was a great student and...

Stephen Cook New York Dr. Stephen Cook, MD, MPH, is dual trained in pediatric and adult-internal medicine. After completing his residency and a chief resident year in Buffalo NY, he joined the Golisano Children's Hospital at URMC in 2001. He completed an academic pediatric fellowship here, during...

Joe and Olivia Quigley Massachusetts More than two-dozen first-graders were squealing and bouncing balls on a mid-February morning in the gym at a school in Boston when 6-year-old Olivia suddenly collapsed. No one saw it coming. The little girl with the strawberry blonde hair and no front teeth had...

Michelle Johnston Shelburne, Vermont I'm alive because my husband knew CPR. Shelburne resident, and cardiac arrest survivor Michelle Johnston suffered sudden cardiac arrest in October 2009 and was saved by her husband. But that is not the end of her story. As an advocate in Vermont Michelle worked...

Tommy Watson Williston,Vermont Fourteen year old Tommy Watson is making a difference. He’s already trained more than 375 people in Hands-only CPR, including the Governor and Lt. Governor. And he worked hand in hand with the American Heart Association, testifying before house and senate committees...

Bill Hathaway Bennington, Vermont Bill Hathaway is the Director of Bennington Rescue. He’s a passionate advocate on stroke and Chain of Survival issues, serves on the AHA’s advocacy committee in Vermont and played an instrumental role in the passage of CPR in schools legislation last session...

Lisa Deck Rhode Island & Massachusetts My name is Lisa Deck. Most people I encounter don’t know that I am a three time stroke survivor. My first stroke occurred when I was just 21 years old, one week before my college graduation. Most of my friends were going to American University’s...

Robert Zimmerman Mantua, New Jersey Pitman Police Chief Robert Zimmerman believed himself to be a healthy 46 year old: he doesn’t smoke or have diabetes and he had normal blood pressure. He did have a history of high cholesterol, but that had been addressed years ago and was under control. He...

Pam Coleman Whitehouse Station, New Jersey I was born with a congenital heart valve defect which was detected at birth. I had three open heart surgeries by the time I was 30. My first surgery was at age 7 to repair my valve. Unfortunately that was not successful and at age 13 my valve was replaced...

Melinda Murray New York On October 5, 2009, my only child, Dominic Murray, a seemingly healthy 17 year-old, collapsed on the basketball court at Farmingdale State College during a pick-up game. After attempting a lay-up he took three steps and collapsed on the court. I was told that within minutes...

Erin Lanni New York, New York During the spring break of my freshman year at Providence College I was scheduled for a physical with my new doctor as I was transitioning from the care of my pediatrician. I wasn’t worried. I have always been an active person, one my parents would affectionately...

Isaac Landry New Hampshire My name is Isaac Landry. I live in Auburn NH with my Mom, Dad, and three brothers: Ethan, Aidan and Evan. I was Mommy’s second baby. She had all boys. Even the dog is a boy! Our dog is named Guinness and he was my birthday present when I turned 7 years old. I’m...

Andrea Karpinski New Hampshire On May 7th 2011, I went to my health club to get in a workout before studying for my college finals. I went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the treadmill. Luckily, the woman exercising next to me called 911 and someone did CPR on me until EMTs arrived in time to...