“I am not the traditional face of heart disease, yet here I am. On December 10, 2011, I woke up and as my heart raced and my breathing became irregular, I knew something was truly wrong. After 45 minutes of a racing heart, multiple EKGs, and two rounds of blood work, the doctors had a diagnosis: I had experienced a heart attack….at age 26. One month later—the day I had planned to start cardiac rehab—I got that racing heart feeling again. Thankfully, my medication kept my heart rate under control, so while I did indeed experience a second heart attack, it was not as painful as the first one.

Nearly 10 years later, I proudly identify as a heart attack survivor and half marathoner (7 times over). I am also a proud advocate for the American Heart Association and spread awareness about the changing face of heart disease.”

Channing Muller, AHA Board Member & Heart Attack Survivor

“For each of us, our heart health is our health. What we do each day - our activity level and the things we wish to do - are all controlled by one heart. There is no back-up system. Each beat determines our quality of life. How we treat our heart comes back to us, but some are not so lucky. This is why the American Heart Association is helping to develop the cures to make our hearts stronger. To give us one more moment, one more hour, one more day.”

Glenn Morris, AHA Board of Directors Chairman