At first glance, Ezekiel “Zeke” Mankins comes off as a pretty typical teenager, juggling schoolwork, athletics, band practice and screen time with his flight simulator.

But the scar on his chest that rises an inch or two above the collar of his track jersey, coupled with a maturity and authenticity that seem almost too developed for someone just 18 years old, suggest that there’s more to Zeke than meets the eye.

And there is.

He spent his early childhood exploring the fields and trails in a remote mountain village in Papua New Guinea, where his missionary parents lived, and later thrived on the football field back home in Midlothian, Texas, a town of 44,000 about 25 miles south of Dallas.

Then in sixth grade, everything changed.

Chest pains led to a diagnosis of a heart murmur caused by a severely leaking mitral valve damaged by a combination of asymptomatic strep throat and rheumatic fever. Inflammation around his heart and an enlarged left ventricle created so much pain he had to sleep sitting up.

By then, it was too late for medication and natural healing to reverse the devastation to Zeke's heart.

Zeke’s medical team at Dallas Children’s Hospital recommended that he have an Abbott Masters mechanical heart valve put in to restore his heart's functioning. It meant more than six weeks of recovery and giving up his dream of being a wide receiver — mechanical heart valves and contact sports don’t mix – but Zeke didn’t stop moving.

He found a new passion in track and quickly rose to elite competition, sprinting at the AAU Junior Olympics and helping his team place in the national Top 20. He’s also an accomplished trombonist who revels in performing in his school band.

His dreams shifted too — from professional football and fame to flying airplanes. The high school senior is currently looking at different professional aviation programs.  

Zeke’s remarkable strength, resilience and spirit caught the attention of Abbott HeartMates and community ambassador Damar Hamlin, who made him the first HeartMates draftee in 2024.

He also inspired Hallmark Channel, which wove parts of his story into David, the young heart patient in “The More the Merrier” who brings unexpected joy, connection and a few surprises to everyone around him.

How does it feel to know that your story helped inspire a pivotal character in “The More the Merrier”?

Knowing that my story inspired a character in a Hallmark Channel movie gives me so much joy, especially when I think about how far everything has come since I first got the news about my heart. I didn’t expect any of this to happen, and I can’t even begin to explain how incredibly grateful I am to experience this with other young HeartMates too.

What was it like being on set and shooting your scene with Damar and the other HeartMates?

The atmosphere on set was really fun. Being with Damar was very cool, as he is just super easy to go up to and have a conversation with. It was also great to do this with other HeartMates and not be alone on this incredible journey. And even seeing how Abbott and Hallmark worked together to give us the best experience really made those moments special.

What would a community like Abbott HeartMates have meant to you when you were in the most serious part of your heart health journey?

While I was fortunate to have hundreds of friends and family cheering me on, having a community like Heartmates in the midst of my struggles and doubts would have made me feel a lot less lonely. It would have also given me confidence in recovery, and I feel like it would have made me a lot more comfortable facing things like all the checkups and even my surgery.

What have been your sources of strength on your heart health journey?

My main source of strength is something that I discovered in the pain of my recovery, and that is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I can’t count how many times I’ve looked back and am thankful that I kept my trust in him because he helped me realize that this is all part of his plan for me and every single person on this planet. Other sources of strength have been seeing everything that the people at Abbott are doing to manufacture these life-saving devices, and the other Heartmates who have really unique stories of their own.

This movie will introduce a lot of new people to Abbott HeartMates. What are a couple things about the community that you think they should know?

One thing this community has taught me is that people with cardiovascular problems have different backgrounds and stories, but at the same time we’re no different from anybody else. We’re still living completely normal lives, just with some extra responsibilities. HeartMates shows us how none of us gave up when times were really hard and that this can be an opportunity for others to hear your story.

The Abbott HeartMates program is a community established by Abbott to offer support to people impacted by cardiovascular conditions, along with their families and caregivers. The program enables participants to share stories and receive emotional support as well as connect with others going through similar heart health journeys. Visit the Abbott HeartMates hub for more information.