 Tonight is important because of me because of me because of my child because of my mother because of our discoveries because we are closer than ever to an answer because we must not give in to heart disease we can never give up I died and was resuscitated I couldn't breathe my heart stopped my son was at risk for sudden death and I had no way of knowing I had my risk of heart attack identified before it occurred tonight is important because of each of us tonight is important because heart disease does not discriminate it kills men and women and children it is the leading cause of death more than cancer in fact it kills more people than the top four cancers combined that is why we are here it is why we never stop working exploring helping people with cardiovascular disease and imagining the future a future without heart disease a future for me me for me my dad a future for all of us all because of the work that is happening here at the Texas Heart Institute since dr. Cooley first imagined the Texas Heart Institute 54 years ago we have opened a world of discovery of imagination of research that has transformed the past and more important redefine the future of cardiovascular discovery learning education and most importantly patient care dr. Cooley laid a foundation for many of the world's most renowned heart and cardiovascular thought leaders physicians and researchers to come together under the direction of the visionary dr. James Willerson together they created a safe haven for discovery for these forward thinking men and women a place that for the past half century they question they explored they discovered and for each of the past 25 years their work has ensured that Texas Heart Institute has been recognized by the US News and World Reports as one of the very top not simply in the nation but in the world we remain one of the leading research and education institutions anywhere an institute that continues to lead to change to reinvent the future of cardiovascular discovery and care and that is what defines Texas Heart Institute care our discoveries are changing the future of care and the outcomes that care provides we are rewriting protocols redesigning pathways for the heart to function we are rethinking how the heart can and will function we are providing solutions to problems that few even know exist what will be the next game-changing regenerative cardiovascular discovery who will be the mastermind behind the next stem cell advancement who and what are challenging to define but without question what is next will most insurely be discovered here at the Texas Heart Institute this is where doctors James Willerson and Emerson parent are leading a worldwide trial on the use of pioneering stem cell therapies to cure heart disease this is where doctors Doris Taylor and Bob Schwartz are redefining regenerative medicine and where they are building a human heart and translating cardiovascular cell therapy research into leading-edge patient care this is where Dr. James Martin is reimagining genetic signaling pathways in the heart to successfully treat and repair damage after a heart attack this is where Dr. Bud Frazier and Dr. Billy Cohn have developed or provided input on every cardiac assist device currently in clinical use worldwide this is where our Center for Coronary Artery Anomalies Group has written the protocol for using MRI screening to detect high-risk heart defects in young children and athletes with unprecedented accuracy this is where Dr. Richard Dixon and his team are identifying dangerous atherosclerotic plaques that cause heart attacks this is where Dr. AJ Marion and his colleagues are identifying genes that cause heart disease this is where historic collaborations are taking place with Catholic Health Initiatives, Baylor, Rice University, the University of Texas System and others this is where discovery is happening this is where barriers are being broken down and people are coming together so to Dr. Cooley to the men and women of Texas Heart Institute who give of themselves to ensure a different tomorrow for each of us thank you thank you thank you for pushing the envelope for not accepting the status quo and for bringing new discovery to Houston to our country and to the world Texas Heart Institute where tomorrow is happening today