Delaney Roberts has been a spokesperson for the Heart Healthy Hunting campaign since its inception and is part of West Virginia’s first ever Youth Advocacy Group. When I first got involved with the West Virginia chapter of the American Heart Association, I had no idea it would become such a big part of my life. … Read more
Kaylee Litman shares her daughter’s story as part of her involvement with the 2025 Mid-Ohio Valley Heart Walk. When I was pregnant, I found out that Klara was going to have heart issues when she was born. At that time, I was only aware of her having an extra hole in her heart (ASD). However, … Read more
Cindy Keely is a Quality Systems Director for the American Heart Association and is a certified CPR instructor. She shares this incredible story for CPR Awareness Week. It started off as a normal Monday back to the office day the first week of June a few years ago, but it turned out to be something … Read more
Courtney Bearer, Miss Morgantown 2025, shares how a family history of heart disease led her to turn her personal journey for a healthy heart into a movement in her community, including helping with the 2025 Morgantown Heart Walk Growing up, movement was second nature to me. From my earliest memories in a dance studio to … Read more
When it comes to the Heart Ball, getting a dedicated chair is key to a successful event. Luckily, for the West Virginia team and the Ohio Valley Heart Ball, they have had an incredible pair of chairs for 30 years! Since 1995, John and Melissa Rataiczak have led the charge for the American Heart Association … Read more
My son, Jacob Baker, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and a intact atrial septum. He spent his first few years of life having multiple life-saving surgeries. By four months old, Jacob had endured two open-heart surgeries, multiple heart caths, a g-tube surgery and many other procedures. By age 3 he had already had … Read more