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Having a well-known cardiologist as a father was a point of pride for Patti Brayton. She saw first-hand the amazing personal care he provided for over 30 years in their community outside Chicago. After losing her mother as a teenager, Patti grew up attending cardiology events as her father's "plus one," so she has always felt at home in a ballroom. Her connection to matters of the heart became even stronger when her husband Joe co-founded a company providing medications for heart transplant patients and those with congestive heart failure (CHF). Patti eventually lost her father to CHF and she and Joe began actively supporting their local ľ¹ÏÖ±²¥ in his honor. "It felt good to honor him by giving back and fighting for the hearts of others, the way he had for so many decades," said Patti. After her retirement, Patti turned her attention on the Dallas Cotes du Coeur Gala, helping raise lifesaving funds through its silent auction. She and Joe became so active they were asked to chair the event. They took the helm of the 2022 gala and helped to lead it to a sold-out success, raising $5.5 million for the mission of the ľ¹ÏÖ±²¥.

At the same time they were planning for the event, Patti and Joe were taking their support of the AHA to new heights in another way as well - through a substantial gift of stock. The timing was perfect and it just made sense. The couple had purchased this stock several years earlier, watching its value ebb and flow. At times they thought about selling it - their initial investment had appreciated more than ten times over - yet the taxes would prevent the sale from being very profitable.

"People don't think about tax implications," Patti said. "But if you give it away, nonprofits benefit. If you've made a lot of money in a stock and need a tax write-off, do it." For Patti and Joe, a stock gift was the perfect way to take a small initial investment and turn around and make a positive impact for a nonprofit close to their hearts. As the Braytons say, "This is good for everybody!"