Supporters Celebrated Innovation With Heart at the 32nd Annual Greater Cleveland Heart and Stroke Ball

For more than a century, the American Heart Association has driven lifesaving breakthroughs, transforming research into real progress so people can live longer, healthier lives. Today, that mission is stronger than ever as the Association leads the charge in heart and brain health through bold innovation.

by Sponsored Content | Aug. 1, 2026 | 4:27 PM

On Friday, June 12, 2026, nearly 400 guests filled a downtown Cleveland ballroom to celebrate the yearlong Heart of Cleveland campaign, dedicated to driving awareness and funding groundbreaking research to save more lives from heart disease and stroke.

Shelley Webber, CFRE, executive director of the Northeast Ohio American Heart Association, underscored the hard work carried out by the Association and its volunteers.

“Since 1948, when the local chapter of the American Heart Association was founded, we have worked alongside the community to position the region as a national hub for cardiovascular medicine, research and public health innovation,” Webber said.

Those breakthroughs range from enhancing CPR techniques to advancing medical device research and advocating for policies that help protect some of the youngest heart warriors. The night highlighted how innovation helped save 2-year-old Lucy Nelson’s life.

While her parents, Jaclyn Drager and Ken Nelson, were at their 19-week anatomy scan, doctors confirmed that Lucy had a hole in her heart. She was later diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), paired with a second condition called pulmonary atresia. These conditions affected Lucy’s body’s ability to pump blood to her lungs, affecting her oxygen levels.

Just days after Lucy was born, doctors placed a stent in one of her blood vessels, giving her time to grow stronger for openheart surgery. While doctors had hoped to wait until Lucy was 6 or 7 months old to perform the surgery, innovative and precautionary measures indicated it needed to happen sooner.

“We took her oxygen daily,” Jaclyn Drager, Lucy’s mom told the American Heart Association. “It was consistently running in the 70s, then dipping into the 60s. So, we had to have the surgery sooner than we thought.”

Lucy was just 3 months old when she had her first open heart surgery, which lasted 7.5 hours.

Following the surgery, Lucy’s oxygen levels reached 100 for the first time ever. “We noticed after the surgery how blue she had been before because now she was pink and looked like a little baby. It was incredible,” Lucy’s dad, Ken Nelson, told the American Heart Association.

The goal of the Cleveland Heart and Stroke Ball is to help patients like Lucy live longer, healthier lives by supporting critical medical research that detects congenital heart defects earlier, giving care teams and families more time to prepare. The campaign also supports outreach programs and educational initiatives throughout the greater Cleveland area.

Driving Innovation With Heart, the American Heart Association is devoted to a future of health and hope for everyone, everywhere.

2026 Heart of Cleveland Guiding Values Awards

The Heart of Cleveland Guiding Values Awards highlight the American Heart Association’s commitment to promoting cardiovascular health and advancing research to improve outcomes for individuals and communities. The awards were presented during the ball to three deserving individuals who exemplify the Association’s values of compassion, innovation and advocacy.

Extending & Improving People’s Lives Award

Sponsored by The Durham Family

Kenneth Zahka, MD, Cleveland Clinic Children’s

Dr. Kenneth Zahka is a pediatric cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. This award recognizes Dr. Kenneth Zahka’s relentless dedication to advocating for every young heart warrior.

Dr. Zahka’s work closely reflects the American Heart Association’s mission to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. He is widely recognized by his peers for advancing the understanding of how genetic mutations affect cardiovascular health, enabling earlier diagnosis and more personalized care for high-risk patients. His work on heart valve conditions and irregular heart rhythms in children has helped clinicians better identify which young patients are at risk and how to prevent serious complications, including sudden cardiac events. His work not only gives families more time with their children but also improves quality of life for patients around the world.

Photo of three winners (l to r): Kenneth Zahka, MD Cleveland Clinic Children’s, Jazmin Long, President & CEO of Birthing Beautiful Communities, Andrei Maiseyeu, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University

Live Fierce. Stand For All. Award

Sponsored by The Jacobs Family

Jazmin Long, President & CEO of Birthing Beautiful Communities

This award recognizes Jazmin Long’s unwavering dedication to maternal health and her commitment to ensuring no one is left behind.

Long is the president and CEO of Birthing Beautiful Communities, where she works to address and improve systemic and community factors that contribute to poor birth outcomes, with a focus on culture, advocacy, support and engagement. Through the nonprofit, she has grown a grassroots vision into a statewide model that is transforming what safe, supported motherhood looks like.

Under her leadership, the organization has achieved a 91% full-term birth rate. She is also leading the development of Ohio’s first Black led freestanding birth center in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, creating a place grounded in dignity, trust and community.

Long continues to expand her impact, now reaching more than 2,000 families across Northeast Ohio. By recognizing that maternal health is foundational to heart health and to the well-being of entire communities, Long lives the mission of the American Heart Association in every sense.

Bringing Science to Life Award

Sponsored by Millcraft Paper

Andrei Maiseyeu, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University

Dr. Andrei Maiseyeu is a professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University.

This award recognizes Dr. Andrei Maiseyeu’s dedicated work to turning scientific discoveries into real treatments that can save lives. He embodies the American Heart Association’s mission by working to bridge the gap between basic chemistry and lifesaving cardiovascular therapies.

Dr. Maiseyeu’s work focuses on finding new ways to treat and target inflammation in neurological and cardiovascular diseases. By creating innovative tools that help doctors more precisely target and treat these conditions, he is helping pave the way for more effective care for people living with heart disease and heart failure.

Just as importantly, he is shaping the future of science itself. Dr. Maiseyeu has mentored more than 30 students and researchers, many of whom have gone on to secure their own funding, including American Heart Association fellowships. He has also opened doors for middle and high school students across the greater Cleveland region, giving them their first glimpse into real-world science and inspiring the next generation of innovators.

2025-2026 LEADERS OF IMPACT

Nearly 300 change-makers across the nation are nominated each year to serve as a Leader of Impact, which is an initiative to bring the work of the American Heart Association to life. In Cleveland, 9 individuals were nominated by community members to take a stand and give all Americans healthier lives by engaging their networks in a 7-week fundraising campaign that made a lasting impact. They educated our communities on the risk factors and warning signs of heart disease and stroke, pioneered new advances in care and treatment of heart disease, built a culture of health where the healthy choice is the easy choice and raised much needed funds so fewer people suffer from the effects of heart disease and stroke. Collectively, this team raised more than $115,000 in 7 weeks!

Nominees

• Michelle Ward Ciancio, Northwest Bank

• Alexandria M. Gill, MSN, RN, RNC-NIC, Cleveland Clinic Children’s

• Sam Grabinski, The Cleveland Browns

• John F. Herubin, EdgePoint Capital Advisors

• Austin Manna & Casey Zepp, IDentiphoto

• Alyssa M. Mazey, M. Ed., Kent State University

• Athena Williams, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office