ALBUQUERQUE, April 22, 2026 - For Martha S. Porter, the fight against heart disease and stroke isn't theoretical - it's personal.
After losing her father to a massive heart attack, watching her mother survive a stroke, supporting her husband through cardiac arrest and managing high blood pressure herself, Porter understands how quickly cardiovascular disease can change a family forever. That lived experience is what drives her volunteer leadership with the American Heart Association and what now brings her to a new role as chair of the 2026 New Mexico Heart Walk and 5K Run, set for Sept.
19. "If by bringing awareness I can save one life, then my volunteer work would have been worth it," Porter said.
Porter is leading a year‑round statewide effort to engage companies, organizations and families in raising lifesaving funds and expanding CPR education, a central focus of this year's Heart Walk campaign. According to the American Heart Association , nine in 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside the hospital do not survive, and more than half do not receive bystander CPR.
Martha S.
Porter, a longtime New Mexico banking professional and volunteer advocate, has been named chair of the 2026 New Mexico Heart Walk and 5K Run.
The announcement frames Porter’s leadership as rooted in multiple personal encounters with cardiovascular events: her father died from a massive heart attack, her mother survived a stroke, her husband experienced cardiac arrest, and Porter herself manages high blood pressure.
Those experiences are presented as the primary drivers of her sustained volunteer activity with the American Heart Association (AHA) and her decision to take on the year‑round role of leading the statewide Heart Walk campaign for 2026.
Porter is described as overseeing a year‑round, statewide effort to engage employers, organizations and families to raise funds and expand cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education.
The campaign’s stated priorities include fundraising for the AHA’s programs and research, promoting physical activity, and broadening access to heart‑healthy education and resources with an emphasis on building “a community of lifesavers” — laypeople prepared to deliver immediate care before emergency responders arrive.
The Heart Walk’s central focus for 2026, as reported, is CPR education, reflecting the AHA’s concern about bystander response in out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrests.
The piece cites AHA data emphasizing poor survival after cardiac arrest that occurs outside hospital settings: the organization reports that most people who experience out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest do not survive, and more than half do not receive bystander CPR.
The AHA’s position, included in the article, is that immediate CPR can substantially increase a person’s chance of survival.
The source connects these statistics to the campaign’s focus on community CPR training and to Porter’s personal narrative about her mother being unable to perform CPR during her father’s fatal event.
The 2026 New Mexico Heart Walk and 5K Run is scheduled for Sept.
19 at Avanyu Plaza at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.
The article notes that hundreds of participants are anticipated to attend to honor survivors, remember those lost to cardiovascular disease, and support the AHA’s ongoing work across the state.
The local event is supported by named sponsors Delta Dental of New Mexico and Presbyterian Health.
The piece provides contact information for organizations and individuals interested in participation (a named AHA staff contact and a registration website).
No participant fees, registration deadlines, or other operational details beyond date, location, and sponsorship are reported.
Porter’s professional background is summarized as more than three decades in the banking industry, including roles from teller to associate national bank examiner; she is identified as currently working at UMB Bank.
The article describes Porter as having broad statewide recognition for leadership and community engagement.
Her prior service on the AHA–New Mexico board of directors is noted: she served on the board in 2022 and rejoined in 2025 with an expressed renewed emphasis on health equity.
A quote from Suzanne Mirabal, identified as a member of the AHA–New Mexico board, characterizes Porter as possessing deep local roots and a credible personal perspective on cardiovascular disease and stroke, and endorses Porter’s capacity to advance the Heart Walk’s objectives.
The article situates the Heart Walk within the AHA’s broader mission.
It reiterates the AHA’s self‑description as an organization dedicated to longer, healthier lives, with a century‑long history as a source of health information and an emphasis on equitable health in all communities.
The AHA is described as supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally and as active in funding research, advocacy, and resource provision to address cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The article reiterates that funds raised at local Heart Walks are designated to remain within the state, without providing detailed accounting or breakdowns of fund allocation.
Porter is quoted framing the Heart Walk as an opportunity for employers to demonstrate a commitment to workforce wellness and community engagement.
In that portrayal, participation is positioned as both a team‑building activity and a public demonstration of support for the AHA’s mission.
The source emphasizes that the local campaign will continue to promote physical activity and public education while seeking to increase awareness and training in lifesaving measures across neighborhoods and households.
The article is primarily an announcement and provides limited empirical detail.
It does not present original research, metrics for prior Heart Walk outcomes, quantitative fundraising goals for 2026, or an itemized plan for expanding CPR training (e.g., number of trainings, target demographics, or evaluation methods).
Specifics on how funds raised will be allocated within New Mexico are not provided.
There is no independent data or external validation of the AHA survival statistics beyond attribution to the organization itself.
Operational details such as registration cost, route information for the 5K, volunteer roles, or contingency planning for weather or public‑health considerations are not reported.