Just three years ago, I survived a heart attack that nearly took my life at 28. In the years since, I’ve learned just how many people are at risk and how much more we could be doing to prevent it. Now, Arizona’s lawmakers have the chance to support the future of medicine and help change stories like mine before they begin. 

I’ll never forget that day. I was living the life I always dreamed of. I was running my salon, working with amazing clients in Arizona and Texas and doing what I love every day. But beneath the surface, something was quietly threatening my health. A blood clot led to a blockage in my left coronary artery, and I needed a stent placed immediately. That’s when I learned I have a genetic condition called lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). It’s a hereditary protein that causes cholesterol to build up in the blood and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, even for people who look healthy and feel fine.

Since then, I’ve learned about a new kind of medicine called genetically targeted technologies, or GTTs. GTTs use non-replicating nucleic acids to silence genes or modify RNA molecules to fix genetic issues in the body. While they are still being developed for people like me, they represent a powerful future where conditions like mine could be treated at the genetic level before it’s too late.

Until that moment, I had never even heard of Lp(a). I never imagined that something in my genes, not my lifestyle, could put me at risk. What gives me even more hope is that scientists are working on GTTs designed specifically to treat Lp(a). These treatments are still in development, but they could change the future for people like me. Yet Lp(a) is not part of routine screening, so countless Arizonans are at risk without even knowing it. That’s why we need both better screening and continued investment in the tools that could save lives.

Arizona has an opportunity to support people like me by backing the MINI Act in Congress. This bipartisan bill would give genetically targeted technologies a better shot at reaching patients by protecting the time innovators have to develop them. That extra time matters. It gives researchers more room to invest, test and deliver the kinds of therapies that could change lives.

GTTs represent a new era of care. They don’t just treat symptoms; they address the underlying causes of disease. For people with inherited conditions like mine, this is the future we’ve been waiting for.

Arizona families stand to benefit. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in our state, and many cases are linked to genetic factors. But too often, these risks go unrecognized or untreated. Raising awareness, expanding access and investing in innovation could help people catch conditions earlier and live longer, healthier lives.

The MINI Act helps make that possible. It puts science into action and brings hope to people with rare or complex health needs. And for patients like me, it means we don’t have to wait for things to get worse before we can get the right treatment.

I tell my story to every client who sits in my chair because I want women to know their risks, trust their bodies and speak up when something doesn’t feel right. My hope is that lawmakers in Arizona will do the same, speak up for people living with genetic conditions and support a smarter approach to health care.

We need leaders who believe in the future of medicine. The MINI Act is a step toward that future.

Tatum Cushing is a patient advocate from Scottsdale, AZ.