Drew had spent decades outrunning the odds. A former college soccer player, he kept pushing his body well into his 50s, running marathons, completing triathlons and playing in an adult soccer league, while using his active lifestyle to manage the stress of running a tech consulting firm.
When his heart health quietly started to decline, there were no obvious symptoms to warn him. The first sign only surfaced because a doctor happened to be listening and looking closely.
But long before that moment, Drew already understood, in a very personal way, what it meant to need expert cardiac care fast. He watched someone close to him go into cardiac arrest and saw how the team at Baylor Scott & White stepped in and saved his life.
That experience would shape how Drew faced his own diagnosis years later and how he and his wife, Sharon, started a mission to give back and encourage others to take their own health care seriously.
This is Drew and Sharon’s story.
Drew and Sharon were stunned when their close friend and neighbor experienced a heart attack during a birthday party. A cardiac nurse, who was also in attendance, quickly used an automated external defibrillator (AED), resuscitating him and buying first responders precious time to reach Baylor Scott & White Health The Heart Hospital, where they repaired his heart.
"That experience really opened our eyes to heart health awareness and how quickly someone’s life can change,” Drew said. After that incident, he and Sharon soon became involved with the American Heart Association, alongside many of their friends.
It came as a surprise a few years later, when during a routine check-up, Drew's primary care physician asked whether anyone had ever told him he had a heart murmur. Further testing with a cardiologist revealed a congenital issue with Drew's bicuspid aortic valve.
A small growth was impeding its function, putting Drew at risk for potentially fatal complications, including Carrera, if it was not treated immediately. It was recommended that Drew consult with a cardiothoracic surgeon.
He met with Katherine Harrington, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon on the medical staff at Hospital Baylor Scott & White The Heart - Plano, who confirmed Drew would need valve replacement surgery.
“She’s a rock star,” Drew said. “She was direct and confident. I joked and asked if she could give me a lightning bolt scar, and she said, ‘Absolutely not!’”
Following the successful surgery to replace his valve in 2021, Drew felt supported every step of the way by the staff at Baylor Scott & White.
“Post-surgery, my care team really understood what I needed to recover, mentally and emotionally, as well as physically,” Drew said. “We connected on where I wanted to go and how to get me there.”
Just three weeks after surgery, Drew ran a mile. Three months later, he was back on the soccer field with his league.
Profoundly grateful for receiving expert care at exactly the right time, Drew and Sharon continued their support of heart health through the American Heart Association and decided to make a gift to support initiatives at Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano.
Their decision was shaped by the dedication they witnessed multiple times over, gaining insight into the impactful research taking place in North Texas.
Led by the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, an extensive portfolio of innovative cardiovascular research and clinical trials are focused on advancing the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular conditions, including atrial fibrillation, Insuficiencia cardiaca, Enfermedad de la arteria coronaria, valve disorders and heart rhythm issues.
This research is conducted across Baylor Scott & White hospitals, including Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano where Drew was treated, integrating innovation directly into clinical practice to expand care options for people.
“Shifting our focus to something local was important to us,” Drew said. “It was a way to make a real impact in the community where we live.”
For Sharon, giving back to the organization that saved her husband’s life, as well as her neighbor’s, felt essential.
“We were just so grateful,” Sharon said. “We couldn’t imagine simply saying, ‘Thanks, we’ll see you again in 10 or 15 years when it’s time to replace the valve.’ Going through this ourselves gave us a much deeper appreciation for what these skilled professionals do behind the scenes day in and day out.”
Many people leave a hospital and never want to think about it again. Drew and Sharon felt the opposite.
“There was something kind of magical about the entire team,” Sharon said, thinking back on meaningful moments with everyone they encountered on their own journey, from the surgeons to the kind woman at check-in. “It didn’t feel right to just walk out the door and be done.”
As a result of his experience, Drew sees it as his duty to encourage others to consider how they can support causes that are important to them, whether through philanthropy or volunteering their time.
“You know that saying, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected’?” Drew asked. “Gifts come in many forms—health, faith, financial resources and more. When you receive a gift like the care we did at Baylor Scott & White, you have an opportunity to give something back.”
Drew and Sharon describe their journey to heart health as “fascinating,” not only because of its impact on Drew’s life, but also because of the doors it has opened for them to give back in a meaningful way.
They are the parents of three children, two of whom are pursuing careers in medicine, further strengthening the family’s commitment to advocating for preventive care and early intervention.
“Part of what we try to amplify is the importance of regular care,” Drew said. “Get the necessary testing done. Make sure there isn’t something going on that you don’t know about. I share my story because anyone who feels moved to say ‘thank you’ should know there are countless ways to help further the mission of caring for others.”
“What I love about what Baylor Scott & White is doing is that it’s almost a well-kept secret, and it shouldn’t be,” Drew said. “The research, training and education happening here in Plano is incredible. This is a top-tier heart hospital on a global level, and it’s right in our community. If we can shine a light on that and help more people understand the importance of looking after yourself, we can truly make a difference in heart health across North Texas and beyond.”
Today, Drew is back to the active life he's always known, training, competing and keeping pace with a schedule that could challenge someone half his age. What's changed is the perspective he carries with him.
A single moment at a neighbor's birthday party once showed him what expert cardiac care could mean in a crisis. A few years later, that same caliber of care gave him his own future back.
For Drew and Sharon, closing that loop fully—from witnesses to people who received care to advocates—has become its own kind of purpose, one they hope inspires others to get checked, stay active and never take a healthy heart for granted.
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