About Us
The Beat It Foundation was founded in Fall 2022 by Marquis Parson, following the heartbreaking loss of his brother to a heart attack at just 37 years old. Marquis’s journey began in 2019, when he experienced a heart attack himself at the age of 36. With heart disease being hereditary in his family, Marquis felt a powerful calling to turn his personal struggles into a mission to help others.
That mission became The Beat It Foundation—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving heart health and saving lives through awareness, education, and prevention. Our goal is to empower individuals and communities to take charge of their cardiovascular well-being by promoting early detection, lifestyle changes, and access to care.
Through community outreach and heart health initiatives, we’re working to create a future where fewer lives are lost to preventable heart conditions—one beat at a time.
Marquis Parson, President & CEO
Brandon Wright Parson
Brandon Wright Parson was more than my brother—he was my first sibling, my first friend, and one of the most important people in my life. On May 11, 2022, at just 37 years old, Brandon passed away from a heart attack. His sudden loss shattered our family and sparked a deeper understanding of the genetic battle we’ve been quietly fighting.
Coronary artery disease runs in our family. Our grandfather died at 36 during open-heart surgery. I experienced my own heart attack at 36 in 2019. And now, Brandon is gone.
One question changed everything. After his passing, my 13-year-old niece—Brandon’s daughter—asked me, “Why didn’t my dad just go to the doctor?” That question has echoed in my heart ever since. It became the spark, the purpose, and the driving force behind founding The Beat It Foundation.
No child should have to ask that question. No family should lose a loved one to something that can be detected, managed, and, in many cases, prevented. This foundation is my promise to Brandon and to every family who has faced similar heartbreak—that we will fight for awareness, access, and action.
This is more than a nonprofit. It's a movement. A bridge to healing, hope, and beating this disease.
Brandon, this is for you. We will honor your life with every heartbeat we help save.
- Marquis Parson, President & CEO
