Joffrey Ballet performer Edson Barbosa was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation at 26. (Photo courtesy of Edson Barbosa) Lea en español Even as a teenager, Edson Barbosa could sometimes feel his heart beating extremely fast during rehearsals. It didn’t seem normal. But as a competitive ballet dancer in Rio de Janeiro, he wasn’t sure what normal…

Stroke survivor Amanda Porter on her 38th birthday earlier this year. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Porter) After a morning of working at home, Amanda Porter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, started getting ready to go to the supermarket. It was March 20, 2020, and the world was shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She needed to…

Musician and cardiac arrest survivor Sal Italiano. (Photo courtesy of the Italiano family) Heavy metal bass guitarist Sal Italiano spent the day at the casino with his wife, Christine, and her 93-year-old aunt, then they all grabbed a bite to eat on the way back to the couple’s home in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Sal watched TV…

Fitness instructor and heart attack survivor Angie Mayo. (Photo courtesy of Josie Porter Photography) A few months before her 50th birthday, Angie Mayo and her husband, Carl, headed to Key West, Florida, for an early celebration. She could use the break from the 12-hour shifts at her factory production job and all the time she…

Personal trainer and weightlifter Alfonso Moretti was faced with open-heart surgery to fix his aortic valve. (Photo courtesy of Alfonso Moretti) Alfonso Moretti was about to have surgery for a torn tendon in his calf muscle. At 45, and having been a personal trainer since his late teens, surgeries to repair injuries were nothing new….

Chrissy Gaffney is passionate about advocating for women’s heart health after decades of heart problems that began in childhood. (Photo courtesy of Chrissy Gaffney) As a young girl, Chrissy Gaffney endured occasional fevers and body aches that made her struggle to walk. Although the family doctor diagnosed her with arthritis, her parents weren’t convinced. Then,…

From left: Siblings Jaxon, Isabel and Jason Siqueiros all had heart transplants before they turned 3. (Photo courtesy of the Siqueiros family) Lea en español Nine weeks after giving birth to twin sons, life was a blur of diaper changes, feedings, laundry and sleepless nights for Sara and Jason Siqueiros. In the midst of the…

Two-time stroke survivor and heart transplant recipient Olivia Rose. (Photo courtesy of Olivia Rose) When she’s not baking cookies for her dessert business, Olivia Rose can often be found pumping iron at the gym. For years, she participated in amateur bodybuilding competitions and even hoped to go pro. At 25, she had the chance to…

Two-time stroke survivor Bill Ramsey. (Photo courtesy of Kacy Meineke) Bill and Marilyn Ramsey were excited about going to Galveston, Texas, to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Their friend, a pilot, flew the couple, along with his wife, in a four-seater plane from their hometown of Wichita, Kansas. It was a tight fit, especially for four…

Jamie Stevens had to relearn how to walk after untreated high blood pressure caused her to have a stroke. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Stevens) Jamie Stevens went back home to Garnett, Kansas, for her grandmother’s funeral and to spend time with her family. After watching her niece’s soccer game, Stevens felt a stronger headache than…