Heart Walk 2015

Today was the day that I attended my first Heart Walk, or any other American Heart Association event, alone.  For some, it may not seem like that big of a deal, and it isn't, but it was another step towards independence for me.  I have been involved with the American Heart Association since I was about 5 years old.  It holds a place in my heart, and I love attending and participating in their events.  Some of you may not know that I was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect.  I have undergone many minor surgeries, and two open-heart surgeries.  My last surgery was 10 1/2 years ago, where I received a porcine pulmonary valve.  This has allowed for me to be "normal", to ke up with my peers physically.  About three years ago, I was told that I have another series of problems, a side effect from the Tetralogy.  I live with my heart problems everyday, but I do not let it define me.  I am a healthy, normal 22 year-old, attending graduate school, with the goal of obtaining my Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences.