So, I have been asleep since about 3:30 this afternoon. As you can imagine, I have a little cold after all is said and done..but nothing could have stopped me from enjoying the heart walk today, or the oyster roast last night, or for that matter, our first parent and alumni tea yesterday at work! Well, sometimes it just all comes together at one time! LOL! But abundant blessings are just that, abundant blessings.
Today, the heart walk, though, was overwhelming. Got to the track this morning at 5:40 a.m. and at 5:45 my first honors students arrived to volunteer! The alpha phi's, the association of UNCW nursing students, the Honors scholars and AGD did an amazing job volunteering and the day went off without a hitch!
The gates were blown off with the number of walkers and the enthusiasm and the spirit of love and family! It was amazing.
My mother was able to be there along with Michael, and was able to walk through those gates on the walk with me! It was awesome and I was very proud! My mother's mother died of a massive heart attack and so today, we were able to walk together with her with us a well! But, just having a mother as supportive and loving as mine is pretty amazing!
I talk alot about being grateful..well, I just am.
Today, with my friend Louise as the chair of this event, a woman who lost her husband 21 years ago to a massive heart attack, who has led in this community, created a business that is unparalleled and NEVER not been involved with everything to help others (and helped and loved me), she helped to bring our leadership team to a new level of success and make this walk an experience for ALL that was and is astounding. You have to be on a committee with her to know how much care and time she takes to stay on top of things, to honor the work she is doing and the care that she takes to do the work well. It is remarkable and we are all blessed because of her. Her own journey in this is as much to celebrate as anyone's.
Ashley, one of the truest friends I have ever had showed that persistence and honestly preserverance can and does overcome everything...because as the day went on...survivors, mothers of children with heart disease, families who had lost people recently..I saw Ashley making sure that our Sammy, our "Heartie" our family of folks were there taking care of them and celebrating, remembering, and honoring them. Ashley never missed a moment to talk to each person, make sure they were taken care of and love and honor them.
Then of course, there is Adam. His mother and father came with his lovely partner, Diana, and we all celebrated together. We remembered together his daughter Kayleigh who passed away a year and a half ago, a child that brought all of us together and started this process. In so many ways, I owe my life to that child.
I am humbled by my friendship with Adam. He is amazing and I was glad that today he got some recognition as well! Here is the raw video from a great story that WECT did on us:
http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=13334263
here is the video of the interview with me.
http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=13334263
and then here is the video of the story from the amazing claire simms! She is a wonderful reporter and i am glad we had the time to connect:
There is a video from the Heart walk itself, but I will publish this later. I am VERY tired and unfortunately I have a low grade fever right now and need to rest a little.
But this is just the beginning...the next steps are to take this to the next level and continue to spread the word about living heart healthy and maintaining that life! GOD, it is amazing!!!
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