At 32 years old, Cheri Shepard didn’t expect to suddenly be raising three young children by herself – or becoming an advocate for CPR and AEDs.

This month, we want to highlight two amazing teachers here in Utah who have been vital in supporting American Heart Association efforts to expand no-cost school meals across their state.

Meet Eugina Gilmore, a devoted mother, daughter, friend, and a passionate advocate for You're the Cure. Known as Gina, she is an IT professional at Unilever NA, managing mobile phones and printers for North America. When she's not at work, Gina enjoys capturing moments through her photography and expressing her creativity in the kitchen. But her most significant role to date has been as a mother advocating for her son's health and using her voice to raise awareness about the life-saving impact of CPR in her community.

   Michelle Albert, MD, MPH, FACC, FAHA                     Keith Churchwell, MD, FAHA

Recently, two AHA volunteer leaders, Dr. Keith Churchwell, M.D., FAHA, President-elect of the AHA and Dr. Michelle Albert, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C, FAHA former AHA President have both written opinion pieces on the need to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

Since taking her first CPR course as a teenager, Candice has felt a connection to this life-saving skill. In recent years, that feeling has deepened as she has lost several family members where CPR possibly could have saved their lives.

I started with the American Heart Association over 15 years ago through the Train to End Stroke program. I had decided to challenge myself to run my first half marathon while committing to a great cause. Through my work at the time as a Physical Therapist, I had experience treating individuals of varying ages impacted by stroke and heart disease.

I was able to travel to Washington, DC and participate in the Rally for Medical Research, September 13-14^th 2023. Sharing my medical story with the state of Idaho Congressional members and engaging in shared interest and support of our country's medical research trajectory touched me deeply. The medical community’s message encouraged an increase of appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) FY24.   

My name is DJ Yearwood, I’m 16, and I am proud to be an American Heart Association (AHA) youth advocate.