Motivated by a desire to make a difference after the events of 9/11, Heather joined the Air Force. With a background in internal medicine specializing in geriatrics and palliative care, she became an expert in ethics. Deployed in 2006, it wasn't until four years later, while working at Cornell Campus Medical School, that her PTSD began to profoundly affect her. Though she still holds her medical credentials, she chose to postpone her work as a physician.