A La Jolla teenager is truly getting to the heart of health education in her community.
Charley Williams, a Bird Rock resident and La Jolla High School sophomore, has organized blood pressure screening events at her school and the La Jolla Open Aire Market, created and sold a line of apparel called Beat x Beat, with proceeds going to the American Heart Association, and held educational events for young people about heart health.
“Heart problems affect people of all ages; it’s a big issue,” Charley said. “I also want to educate people as to how they can help themselves and those around them — everything from having a healthy diet and not smoking or vaping to how to use an automated external defibrillator machine [to help others if needed] and where to find the nearest one.”
For her efforts, Charley has been nominated to be a 2026 American Heart Association Teen of Impact.
Three other San Diego teens also have been nominated, along with about 300 nationally. Nominees with the most points can win the local or national honors. Teens earn points by participating in educational activities or raising money.
“It’s growing awareness for the American Heart Association and helping out, and it’s been cool to see people care about the cause,” Charley said.
As part of her campaign, Charley is looking to raise $50,000 for the heart association by April 9. An anonymous donor will match the first $50,000 donated to Charley’s campaign. Currently, 19 members of her team are doing weekly education activities to help her earn points and raise money.
Proceeds from the campaign will go toward the association’s research efforts; education about heart health and heart disease prevention; advocacy for healthier, equitable communities; and training in lifesaving skills like CPR.
Charley Williams (in blue sweatshirt) watches as Gabrielle Hill takes Maia Poch’s blood pressure reading during a recent screening event at La Jolla High School. (Dana Williams)
For Charley, heart health advocacy is a deeply personal matter.
Before she was born, doctors discovered she had a life-threatening congenital heart defect called transposition of the great arteries, meaning her aorta and pulmonary artery were going into the wrong heart chambers. When she was 10 days old, she underwent six hours of open-heart surgery.
“I’ve grown up strong,” Charley wrote on her campaign page. “I get to play sports, go to school, have fun with friends and think about my future, all because of lifesaving heart research and care.”
Charley’s experience represents a full-circle moment for her family.
Charley’s mother, Dana, grew up in Toronto, and more than 40 years ago, “my baby sister Georgia was born with a congenital heart defect,” Dana said. “She spent most of her short life in hospitals and underwent open-heart surgery … at just 2½ years old. Despite a world-class medical team and extraordinary care, she didn’t survive. Her death profoundly shaped my family and our understanding of grief.”
In Georgia’s memory, Dana’s parents established a fund with the Toronto-based SickKids Foundation to support pediatric heart research, believing it might help save another child someday.
Years later, such exploration would come into play in a way the family could not have expected.
“Because of decades of medical research — the very kind my parents had supported — Charley had a cure,” Dana said. “What began as a tragedy has become a story of hope and gratitude. In an unexpected twist of fate, my sister, through research funded in her name, helped save my daughter’s life.”
Dana said she “could not be more proud” of Charley for her work to support the American Heart Association.
“We are so proud to be part of the Teen of Impact campaign to pay it forward like so many strangers did so many years ago,” she said.
To find out more about Charley’s campaign and opportunities to join her team or donate, visit teenofimpact.heart.org. ♦