Saved by CPR, new mom leads walk to build a nation of lifesavers

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14, 2026 — Melissa Ziebell was one mile away from the finish line of the Paris Half Marathon when she went into cardiac arrest.  

The 33-year-old collapsed near race volunteers who immediately began CPR and used an AED to deliver lifesaving shocks until paramedics arrived. At the hospital, Ziebell learned she had been living with an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.  

Last year, on the 10th anniversary of her cardiac arrest, she returned to Paris and crossed the Half Marathon finish line. 

Stories like Ziebell’s are why the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk matters.  

Every year in the U.S., more than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital, and most do not survive. Immediate CPR can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival, yet fewer than half receive it, showing why more people need to learn CPR.  

Building a Nation of Lifesavers is a focus of the Los Angeles Heart Walk, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. Throughout the year and at the event, the Association teaches employees and community members how to perform lifesaving CPR.  

Ziebell, who welcomed her first child four months ago, will kick off the walk by beating the ceremonial drum, symbolizing the heartbeat she still has because someone stepped in to save her life. 

"Most cardiac emergencies don't happen in hospitals. They happen at home, in workplaces and out in the community," said David Morgan, chief operating officer at UCLA West Valley Medical Center and this year’s LA Heart Walk Chair. "The more people who know CPR and understand how to respond in an emergency, the more lives we can save." 

Morgan, who lost his father to a heart attack and experienced a heart health scare of his own earlier this year, hopes the event will unite people and organizations across Greater Los Angeles around a common purpose. 

"Every step and every dollar raised helps advance research, education and prevention efforts that save lives," he said. "I want people to understand the impact they're making and feel excited about being part of something that truly helps others." 

The Heart Walk is the Association's largest event that brings communities together around heart and brain health. Through fundraising, community education and corporate engagement, the Heart Walk aims to make CPR education and training more accessible, fund vital research and drive equitable health for all.  

The Los Angeles Heart Walk has something for everyone. Families can enjoy activities in the Kids Corner, while Survivor Central offers a special place to recognize and celebrate heart disease and stroke survivors. Participants can honor loved ones lost to cardiovascular disease, capture memories at the Heart Walk selfie station and learn Hands-Only CPR, a simple skill that can help save a life. 

For information and to join the Greater Los Angeles Heart and Stroke Walk, go to HeartWalkLA.org. 

The Los Angeles Heart Walk is sponsored by UCLA Health and Keck Medicine of USC.

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