In August, we asked you to nominate your health inspiration hero for a chance to win tickets to a Cincinnati Bengals private practice, and we are excited and honored to announce our winners!
Health inspiration heroes are individuals who inspire healthier living and strengthen our community through compassion, resilience, service, and leadership.
Let’s meet our winners:
Bob Haas – Mental health foundation founder
Bob founded the SnapPac4L Foundation, which is a foundation dedicated to providing support, education, and resources for mental health awareness and suicide prevention for teens and young adults.
“Through his compassion, resilience, and servant leadership,” the nomination says, “Bob has inspired countless individuals to seek help, support one another, and break the stigma surrounding mental health.”
Keisha Saunders-Waldron – Mental health leader
Keisha is a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor with more than 20 years of experience in the mental health field. She founded Confidential Confessions Counseling Services and created the Lace Up for Life Sneaker Ball, an annual event that brings the community together to break the stigma of mental illness. Keisha also mentors future counselors at Northwestern University.
“Mrs. Saunders inspires me through her compassion, leadership, and genuine commitment to helping me grow as a marriage and family therapist,” the nomination says. “She has challenged me to trust my clinical voice, recognize my strengths, and become more confident in myself.”
Tyler McLean – Physical therapist
Tyler is a physical therapist at the Kettering Health NeuroRehab and Balance Center and has played an instrumental role in obtaining grants from the Parkinson’s Foundation to provide free therapy and exercise classes for those with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
“Tyler has spent countless hours writing the grant proposals, much of this on his own time,” the nomination says. “This allows PD patients to have access to education, exercise, and socialization throughout our community. The staff and patients look to Tyler as a leader as he represents all of [Kettering Health’s] core values and mission.”
Angela Buckalew – CPR education founder
Angela has empowered more than 100,000 people with lifesaving CPR skills through HTH Safety Solutions, which provides on-site safety training for employers. She also does work to address a critical gap in cardiac care.
“Angie leads with service, perseverance, and purpose,” the nomination says. “She doesn’t just identify problems—she works tirelessly to solve them and make healthcare and our community stronger.”
Josh Goodloe – Community mentor
Josh worked in the Oregon District in 2019 when he was tragically caught in the deadly mass shooting that took nine lives and injured many other people. Since then, he has founded Camp Mariposa, a camp for kids who have grown up with substance use disorder in their homes.
“He uses his skills as a father and musician to show kids that there are options in life,” the nomination says.
Yajaira Martinez – NICU respiratory therapist
Yajaira is a NICU respiratory therapist, caring for fragile newborns and supporting families through their hardest moments. As a bilingual caregiver, she also helps Spanish-speaking families feel heard and empowered. She also inspires future therapists as a respiratory care professor.
“Her impact reaches patients, families, students, and the community, making her a true healthcare hero,” the nomination says.
Melissa Green – Registered nurse and community volunteer
Melissa is a registered nurse at Kettering Health who also volunteers with Dear Dinah, a local faith-based ministry that supports victims of human trafficking. Twice a week, she does outreach in the East Side of Dayton to help women in need.
“In this ministry, they reach out to women who are on the streets and vulnerable, offering food, clothing, meals, and recovery support services,” the nomination says.
Lauren Kurtzer – Cleveland Clinic oncology registered nurse
Lauren turned a family experience with cancer into a calling in oncology. She is a leader on the bone marrow transplant unit at the Cleveland Clinic and on track to become a nurse practitioner.
“Outside of work, Lauren volunteers with the Oncology Nursing Society and Karen Wellington Foundation,” the nomination says.
April Frye – Registered nurse and local lifesaver
April is a registered nurse and recognized lifesaver in her community after saving a drowning child by working to pull him out of the water with her granddaughter and performing CPR on the child.
“Had April and her granddaughter not acted quickly, the outcome would have been very different as the child had been underwater for nearly two minutes when he was discovered by them,” the nomination says.
Brandon Abrams – Respiratory therapist
Brandon is a respiratory therapist at Kettering Health who has battled hairy cell leukemia several times. He uses his diagnosis to help others and frequently donates to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. His nomination shares that he often goes out of his way to educate others and help anyone who needs it.
“His teammates have a saying to encourage others to ‘Be Like Brandon’ or BLB,” the nomination says.
Thank you
We thank our nomination winners and all of the health inspiration heroes in our community for going above and beyond to help others “Be Their Best.”
