Meet Elise, amazing mom and advocate.
hero_image_alt_text===An image of Elise Baldacci Deane and family.
thumbnail===
thumbnail_alt_text===
advocate_thumbnail===https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/yourethecure/pages/25499/attachments/original/1502931181/ME%20Deane%20Family%20Higgins%20Cropped.jpg?1502931181
bottom_action===
My dad passed away from a congenital heart defect when I was 18 years old. I was away at college, just starting my second semester, when I got the call that my dad was gone. The next few months, to say the least, were a mix of many emotions. My dad was the rock of my life and living without him was and continues to be a struggle.
Soon after my father's death, I became involved with the American Heart Association, speaking at heart balls, serving as a local board member and recently on the state advocacy committee.
Since becoming a member of the American Heart Association family, I have started a family of my own. My husband and I are parents to an energetic son with another one on the way (any day now!). I finished college, went on to law school and am balancing a rewarding career as an attorney specializing in advocacy for Maine’s credit unions.
As a mom, and an advocate, I see how policies, especially those promoted by the AHA can improve the lives of my family and friends. Recent examples, such as advocacy to improve nutrition, active play and screen time standards in early care, or increasing the sales age of tobacco to 21 will have immediate as well as long term benefits for my family.
Although there is nothing I can do to change my family's past, advocating for the American Heart Association allows me to improve the future for the newest members of family.
Showing 3 reactions