Hello everyone!
I just wanted to share something with you all that means something to me. This Saturday, I will be walking in a 3 mile Heart Walk for the American Heart Association. Everyone walks for different reasons, raising money to help further cardiac health research and honoring those we have lost to heart related deaths.
My best friend died suddenly, and unexpectedly in 2007 while backpacking through Arkansas. He was a very healthy young man of 31, and there was no reason to suspect he had any problems or illnesses. After a lengthy autopsy, it was discovered that he had viral myocarditis, a tiny, but fatal virus of the cardiac muscle that is almost impossible to detect and shows no symptoms before it causes severe effects.
My friend, John, was the most intelligent person I have ever known. He was warm, and driven, and loved hiking, his job, his friends, and driving his car. He was always honest to a fault, and could talk with anyone for hours about anything. This Saturday I will walk with "Team III" (he was John the third) in honor of him. We'll be raising money to fund research into viral myocarditis, and also for a scholarship in his name at the college we both attended.
Here is a video I made after his death, celebrating him.
http://www.facebook.com/v/417541885766John and I were very close for many years, and I miss him dearly. Saturday morning, I'll be making a 5 hour drive to join with his family and friends in memory of him and to help raise money so that maybe someday someone else will be spared the loss that we had to go through.
Here is the link to my Heart Walk donation page, in case anyone is interested. I don't expect anything from any of you, except maybe a few prayers or positive thoughts for John's friends, family and all those other countless people affected by these cardiac deaths.
http://heartwalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=319914&lis=1&kntae319914=1FB1CEAFACC848FB9CFA2C2A75F5CC53&supId=292456903Thanks,
- The Felinist
