Recently, a member of the American Expediting commercial team, Scott Hilburn had the honor of attending the 2026 Tampa Bay Go Red for Women event at the Tampa Museum of Art alongside his sister, Hayley, a heart transplant survivor and one of the strongest individuals he knows.
With the Tampa skyline as the backdrop, the evening brought together leaders, physicians, advocates, and families united around a shared purpose: advancing cardiovascular research and improving outcomes for women.
For many in attendance, the cause was meaningful.
For Scott and his family, it is deeply personal.
After losing their father to heart disease at a young age, Scott’s family faced the disease again years later when his sister Hayley was diagnosed with heart disease herself. In April 2022, their family experienced the extraordinary impact of medical innovation when Hayley received a life-saving heart transplant.
Her story exists because of research.
Because of science.
Because of healthcare teams, laboratories, and medical innovators working tirelessly behind the scenes, and because everything came together at exactly the right moment.
During the event and a visit to Tampa General Hospital, Scott met with physicians and care teams, toured advanced treatment areas, and learned firsthand about the innovation happening every day to save lives. The experience served as a powerful reminder of how many people and processes must align to make outcomes like Hayley’s possible.
It also reinforced something deeply connected to the work we do at American Expediting.
While we may not work directly with this specific organization, we support the laboratories, research teams, pharmaceutical partners, and healthcare providers who make these breakthroughs possible.
We move the diagnostics.
We move the specimens.
We move the therapies.
We move the innovation that supports patients fighting for their lives.
Somewhere, a lab technician is waiting on a critical sample.
Somewhere, a research team is advancing treatment for heart disease.
Somewhere, a transplant team is preparing for surgery.
And they are counting on shipments to arrive exactly when they should.
When Hayley received her transplant, there was no room for delays. No missed handoffs. No margin for error. Every step mattered.
Moments like that are why our work matters.
A shipment may look like a pickup time, a route, or a delivery confirmation, but in reality, it is often one essential link in a chain that determines whether someone receives treatment, recovers, or gets a second chance at life.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Progress happens when communities invest in research, when healthcare teams push innovation forward, and when operational partners execute with precision and urgency.
That’s where we come in.
All of it contributes to something much bigger than logistics.
It contributes to healing.
Seeing his sister healthy and thriving today serves as a constant reminder for Scott that behind every critical shipment is a family holding their breath, waiting for hope to arrive.
Together, we improve lives one critical shipment at a time.
If you have a story that reminds you why this work matters, we want to share it. Please reach out to HR@amexpediting.com so we can continue telling the stories behind the shipments.