Twin Cities Heart Walk celebrates survivors

Image 1 of 2

Fox 9 anchor Kelcey Carlson and meteorologist Keith Marler will be hosting the 2018 Twin Cities Heart Walk Saturday morning. 

The walk celebrates survivors, pays tribute to the ones we lost and raises money for medical research. 

Fox 9 spoke with two survivors who are participating in the walk after their lives dramatically changed in 2016. 

At just 50 years old, Mark Pitzele’s heart was failing and he needed a transplant. 

“My heart was beating at about five to ten percent strength,” Pitzele said. 

Pitzele’s doctor said it was the hardest transplant he’s ever done. 

Shortly after he came home from the hospital, his longtime companion Cindy Sorensen started having vision problems and was later diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. 

“I was walking around with a ticking time bomb,” Sorensen said. “Had it burst, I was told it would’ve been life altering for me.” 

Mark and Cindy are still on a long walk of recovery, but their road is lined with hope. 

For more information about the Twin Cities Heart Walk, click here.