I’ve always been a believer, however, I didn’t have my first one-on-one conversation with the Lord until I was 12 years old. I remember it like it was yesterday. Three weeks before that very day, I was diagnosed with a deadly heart condition and was required to get emergency heart surgery. As I came out of the operating room, I was wheeled in my hospital bed to a designated and private area for me to recover for the next 8 hours. As I began to wake alone, I felt an immense and immeasurable amount of pain throughout my entire body, especially the arteries that the doctors had used to reach my heart. At that very moment, I heard the voice of God for the first time, and I knew my life would never be the same. 

 

The year and a half I spent in recovery from my heart surgery was the hardest year of my life. I experienced chronic migraines, dizziness, and extreme fatigue. I was out of school for most of the year causing me to be completely isolated from all of my peers, in and outside of school. Every day was a battle. However, the presence of Jesus in my life was the strongest it had ever been before. I knew God had his hand on my shoulder and was going to guide me through this pain. Every night, I would pray for my pain to turn into purpose. 

 

Since my recovery, I have become passionate about helping others by sharing my story, especially about the effects that heart conditions can have on not only the body but the mind. I have been able to advocate for living a heart-healthy lifestyle with the American Heart Association throughout high school. As a spokesperson for the AHA, I have presented at schools across California and was even interviewed by KTLA News at the yearly Heart & Stroke Walk event. I recognize how fortunate I am to have benefited from surgery, and so it is extremely important to me that I actively fundraise for children who do not have access to the life-changing surgeries they need to live healthy lives.

 

In college, I plan to continue to advocate for living a heart-healthy lifestyle. I want to teach others about the signs and symptoms that correspond with heart conditions, just like my own. That way, we can give people the life-saving surgeries they need to live healthier, fuller lives. I'm so grateful to the doctors who were able to repair my heart. Today, I live a life where my health no longer holds me back, and I do everything I can to put others in the same position. 

 

I will always openly share my faith and my testimony whenever I can. It is something I am so proud of. Everything I do with the AHA is rooted in the purpose to provide others encouragement and hope during their hardest seasons. However, the most important part of my story was and will always be the grace and mercy of God. My trust in Jesus and God’s plan for my life has led me to accomplish my biggest dreams. I now know what it feels like to truly live.