My involvement with the American Heart Association and the Go Red for Women campaign began about a year ago. While working at a bridal salon, I happened to sell a dress to a young woman named Sharon Reed who had a heart defibrillator...just like me! After swapping stories and contact information, she left that day and shared my story with the director of the Go Red for Women campaign who then reached out to me to set up a meeting. Since that meeting, I have had the opportunity to speak on behalf of Go Red for Women at numerous local functions. This May 11th is the Go Red for Women luncheon and not only have I been asked to be the Passion Speaker, November Lily has been asked to be the Keynote Speakers and will be performing a few of our songs acoustically! Matt and I are both so flattered to be part of such an important event! To have the chance to combine our passion for this cause along with our passion for music is truly a blessing! When I look back over the past year since becoming a speaker for the AHA, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness. Up until meeting Sharon that day in the bridal salon, I had spent four years with the weight of this story, clueless as to what I was supposed to do with it. I had even reached a point of angrily asking God, "Why did this happen to me? What do you expect me to do with this?" After meeting Sharon, I ran to the back of the store with my phone and called my parents in tears. I said to them both, "I know God sent her in here! I met her for a reason!" Remembering that moment while in the midst of November Lily rehearsals and speech preparation is such an amazing and humbling feeling! :) --Ashley