Have you ever met someone who surprised you with an incredible life story you weren’t expecting them to tell? Someone who doesn’t show it on the outside but contains multitudes?
Though he’s still only a teen, Jaden Hartley is already that someone.
Hartley, 16, of Chicago, comes off as quiet at first. But when he opens up, his inner strength and inspiring story are clear to see.
He can tell you about a trip to Hawaii that ended with the knowledge that he needed to be flown back home for surgery. He can take you through his remarkable comeback, from that moment all the way up to his heart transplant. And now, he can tell you how he ended up on the set of the new Hallmark Channel movie “The More the Merrier” — huddled up with a special group of friends that includes pro football player Damar Hamlin.
Can you believe that’s only the first few chapters of the story? Hartley is a perfect example of the power such comeback stories have — especially for others who have been impacted by a heart condition.
Hamlin knows it all too well. His own heart health journey led to the creation of the Abbott HeartMates community, where people can connect with support and inspire one another.
He happened to meet Hartley during the teen’s hospital recovery in Chicago. Very soon after that, Hamlin picked Hartley to be a member of the HeartMates team — and join him for a cameo role in “The More the Merrier.”
For Hartley, a remarkable story continues. Here is how he tells it.
Where does your heart health story start?
My heart health journey started (earlier this year). I had symptoms, but I didn’t think of heart symptoms.
I’m walking in school from the first floor to the third floor, and by the time I got to that top floor, I’m just tired and gassed. I told my parents later: “I just think I’m out of shape. I’m cool.”
Fast-forward to June, my little cousin had a trip to Hawaii, so we flew out there. Two days later, I tried to lie down for a nap — and that’s when I couldn’t breathe regularly. I told my mom, and we went to the doctor.
I found out I had an enlarged heart. They diagnosed me with cardiomyopathy. They arranged to have me flown back to Chicago.
In September, I got my heart transplant.
When was the first time you met Damar Hamlin?
The first time I met Damar was a couple of days before my birthday, while I was in the hospital. He came to visit me, and I needed that. I was just staying in that same room, staying in the hospital, and I just need to smile.
And what was it like to then be drafted as a team member in the Abbott HeartMates program this year?
Not a lot of people know about this program, so getting to learn about why Abbott started it and hearing from Damar about why he partnered with Abbott was great.
And then I’ve gotten to talk to the other kids who also got drafted. We have different experiences, but we still share the same thing. So that’s something you can just bond on, right there.
Before this, some of us didn’t know each other. Now, we’re all laughing and kicking it.
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