Our Story
Our story began unfolding in 2013. My mother lived in Birmingham for nearly eight years, helping me care for my children while I completed my master’s degree. After returning home to Mobile, Alabama, she experienced her first stroke in May 2013. It was a difficult and frightening time, and the outlook initially seemed bleak, but we remained grounded in our faith.
She was transferred from Mobile Infirmary to Spain Rehabilitation Hospital in Birmingham, which allowed me to actively participate in her therapy and provide daily support. She began in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit, and within six weeks, she was discharged home, ambulating with a quad cane. With continued therapy, Mama progressed to a straight cane and eventually returned to living independently in her home in Mobile—where she remained for eight years.
Our story took another turn in September 2022. Early one Saturday morning, I received a frantic call from my sister: “Mama is unresponsive.” The drive to Mobile felt like an eternity. The doctors gave her two hours. God gave us seven days, the number of completions, and then Mama took her eternal rest.
Grief is a cycle that must be engaged; otherwise, it has the power to consume every aspect of one’s health. During this season of grief, I began to feel an unmistakable internal urgency to serve the community. The call was clear and specific—to host a community event focused on reducing cardiovascular disease and stroke. The more I resisted the pull, the stronger it became, until I finally surrendered. That surrender marked the birth of the Brenda J. Bush Legacy Organization.
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.
The U.S 2025 stats indicates that among people aged 20 and older in the U.S., nearly 60% of Black adults have some type of CVD, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and hypertension; that’s compared to about 49% of all U.S. adults who have some type of CVD.
Black adults account for over 50% of heart failure hospitalizations among U.S. adults under 50.
The first BJB Legacy event took place in October 2023, honoring my mother’s legacy of love, family, and community. The vision “A legacy of heart health: educating, empowering, and inspiring communities to reduce the impact of cardiovascular disease and stroke across generations”.
In October 2025, we hosted our first event as a recognized nonprofit, guided by our mission: “to empower communities through educational forums focused on preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke, fostering healthy nutrition, and inspiring active lifestyles”.
We are committed to building partnerships that support healthier lives through access to nutritious food, physical movement, and resources that promote medication adherence and medical stability.
In my grief, God spoke. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose”(Romans 8:28). I continue the journey of understanding His spoken word. The BJB Legacy organization is an act of obedience and trust. I am excited to see God’s plan unfold as we live out the legacy of my mother, Ms. Brenda J. Bush, a legacy of love, family, and community!
Jeremiah 29:11
