- Hello, I'm Nancy Brown, CEO of
the American Heart Association.
Our mission is to build healthier lives
free of cardiovascular
diseases and stroke.
This single purpose drives all that we do.
With that in mind, I'm very excited to
share this video with you,
as we celebrate the 30th
anniversary of the
advocacy department here at
the American Heart Association.
(pleasant piano music)
- Long story short, April the
22nd, '98. I had a stroke.
- On the evening of September 12, 1993,
when I suffered a massive heart attack.
- When I was four years
old, I had an ASD repair,
and that's a hole between
the upper two chambers.
- I first got involved with
the American Heart Association
after the death of my daughter.
She was 22 years old, and in March,
she was at our local gym,
doing her daily routine,
and collapsed while
running on the treadmill.
- A key part of what the
American Heart Association does,
and if we're going to
reach our impact goal,
is to advocate for science and research in
cardiovascular medicine and biology.
- Basically, what I did is
took this horrible, nightmarish
thing that happened to me,
and tried to turn it into
something positive through advocacy.
- So I didn't know anything
about stroke until I got
more information from the
American Heart Association.
So being a volunteer, it gave me a new
mission and a new purpose in life.
- There is no better example,
or no better person to tell
our legislators than somebody like me,
somebody who's actually
living with it everyday.
- [Dr. Tomaselli] The
more people that you have
speaking with the same voice
about the importance of
prevention of heart disease,
about the importance of
supportive research in
cardiovascular medicine,
the more impact you're gonna
have on our elected officials.
- I think she'd be proud
that, with her name and
advocacy for the American
Heart Association,
knowing that she's saving lives...
I know she'd be so honored.
- So on behalf of the
American Heart Association,
I want to thank you for all you have done,
and all you will continue to do.
- [Voiceover] Heart disease
and stroke. You're the cure.
- [Voiceover] Heart disease
and stroke. You're the cure.
- [Voiceover] You're the cure.
- [Voiceover] You're the cure.
- [Voiceover] You're the cure.
- [All] You're the cure.
- [Voiceover] Become an advocate
with our You're the Cure network,
and help the American Heart Association
make the next 30 years
even better than the last.
Visit yourethecure.org
to join the movement.
