Thank you, Gene Johnson, for Giving Your Time and Advocating for a Healthier Tomorrow!

Throughout November, our blog will feature AHA volunteer stories of survival and hope.

We know there are thousands of stories like these - thats why we want to say “Thanks” to all of you for “Giving” your time and sharing your lives with us.

You can’t spell CURE without U! Thank you for all you do to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

YOU’RE THE CURE!!!

Read about Gene Johnson's story below:

My experience as a Sudden Cardiac Arrest survivor has been life-changing! I arrested back on 9-11-02 and because of a truly serendipity series of events, I was able to live, and with this second chance at life, I vowed to take this new life in a different direction from my past. The picture of me to the left is at the spot where I was saved!!!

Jill Birnbaum, an AHA staff person, contacted me in March of 2003 to be an AHA Lobbyist that April in Wash.DC. The experiences from that trip... and working with Jill ...inspired me to join and advocate heart issues with the wonderful people and organization of AHA .

I was very impressed with how AHA could get things done! I took every opportunity that came my way to volunteer my time in any capacity that they wanted me to be involved in.

I join Mended Hearts at my local hospital and volunteered to see heart patients pre and post op to support, comfort, and share my surgery/ hospital (quadruple heart by pass) experiences. I'm still doing it as of this date.

I write and visit my state and local politicians to advocate for all heart and stroke AHA goals.

I am still working with Allina Hospitals here in Minnesota on CPR/AED training of High School and College students. This would hopefully carry over to all families giving us a trained population!

I work with Medtronic Foundation thru Grant monies to train various groups in CPR/AED usage and placement.

We have a group of approximately three hundred known SCA Survivors ( Minnesota Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor Network) I chair a group of ninety metro SCA survivors to work with local Heart Initiatives (Take Heart Minnesota).

Life is so good! The progress we have made is remarkable yet...so much remains to be done!!!

-Gene Johnson

If you are interested in becoming a part of our advocacy network, You're the Cure, visit www.yourethecure.org and you can join in with Gene in letting our legislators know to make heart issues a national priority!

Thank You, Gene for all you do as an advocate and volunteer - your story is an inspiration!