Area resident hopes to raise $15K through heart walk

Clear Lake resident Indira Feustel is hoping to beat her own record and raise $15,000 this year for the American Heart Association before she participates in a walk for the cause on October 22.

Feustel, a speech-language pathologist, said she helped raise $14,252 last year for heart disease research and education. This year's heart walk will be her 14th.

"As a daughter, I will be walking in honor of my father, Vijay Bahtnagar, who survived a massive heart attack/triple bypass in 2000 and two strokes in 2009," she wrote in a recent email announcement of her fundraising efforts. "As a speech-language pathologist, I will be walking in honor of my patients who have communication, cognitive and swallowing problems after suffering from heart disease and strokes."

To donate to Feustel's campaign, go to bayareaheartwalk.org and enter "Indira Feustel" in the Sponsor Participant search box. Donations may also be mailed to her at 4003 Elm Crest Trail, Houston.