Connective Issues Spring/Summer 2025

 Mandy (middle center) and Team Shaw

March 2025 marked 10 years of the Houston Walk for Victory (WFV). The WFV isn’t just a one-day event; it has grown into a large, connected community that is pushing for progress and making an impact. What started in 2015 at Discovery Green with 50 teams and over $135,000 raised has become a major gathering for the Marfan, VEDS, and related conditions community in Texas. This year, the walk hit two major milestones: its highest fundraising total ever—$250,000—and its largest team to date, with Team VEDS bringing in 470 participants. Team VEDS was first organized by Bella Marin in 2020 with 65 members and has remained the largest VEDS team every year among 23 WFV events across the U.S. To mark five years of the VEDS Movement, the Foundation hosted a post-walk celebration to bring people together and celebrate how far the community has come. “For VEDS being so rare, it’s incredible to have the largest VEDS team,” said Bella. “We want to make sure that no person with VEDS is left behind and that others have the support that we did not have for so long. There’s strength in numbers, and Team VEDS shows that.” Since the Houston walk began, participants have helped raise over $1.43 million, supporting essential research, services, and awareness efforts. This year’s event also recognized long-term supporters with awards, including the Beckholt and Shaw families, as well as Dr. Joseph Coselli and Dr. Shane Morris. The Houston WFV also relies on the generosity of dedicated supporters like this year’s Presenting Sponsors, Tracey McBride with Aloha Beauty Lounge and Aven McBride with American Communication Construction. For Mandy Shaw, the walk has always been personal. She has been attending since the beginning after her husband passed away from Marfan syndrome in 2013. Six months after that first walk, her son was diagnosed as well. “I never wanted my son to ever feel the sense of loneliness my husband felt by not being around other people that had Marfan syndrome,” said Mandy. “Each year, it’s like a family reunion where you see all the people you haven’t seen in a year, and everyone just 10 YEARS OF COMMUNITY & IMPACT Houston Walk for Victory

 Shelley (left) and Team Peggy

 Max, Curtis, and Vivian

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